City under cyberattack issues alert to St. Paul residents about false invoices pretending to be from local government
In the heart of Minnesota, the city of St. Paul is currently grappling with a deliberate, coordinated digital attack that began on July 25. The attack, which entered its second week on Monday, has disrupted several city services, including online payment systems for water bills.
Mayor Melvin Carter has advised city staff to take protective measures with their digital identity and financial identity, acknowledging the potential severity of the situation. The city's IT department, however, acted quickly and responsibly when they initially learned of the suspicious activity that prompted their response.
The nature of the attack and its scale are still under investigation, but cybersecurity expert Jonathan Wrolstad estimates it to be severe. In fact, the attack is believed to have resulted in the hackers building a database of usernames and passwords.
Gov. Tim Walz has activated the Minnesota National Guard to assist in the recovery and management of the event, underscoring the significance of the situation. The city maintains little sensitive information about its residents, according to Mayor Melvin Carter, which may lower the threat of residents' personal data being compromised.
Recovery from such cyberattacks can be a lengthy process. The typical time for a city to restore services after a severe cyberattack can range from several weeks to several months, often extending up to 2-9 months depending on the attack's scale and complexity. Factors influencing recovery time include the complexity and sophistication of the attack, the availability and reliability of backups, organizational preparedness and cybersecurity infrastructure, external support availability, physical infrastructure damage or dependencies, sector and scale, and more.
It is unclear when the city services will be up and running again. Emergency 911 operations are functioning, but residents should remain vigilant. They are advised to be on alert for phony bills and not click on any suspicious links or email attachments.
Caroline Cummings, an Emmy-winning reporter who has joined the WCCO team, has taken on the task of covering this developing story. She brings her passion for politics, public policy, and government to the table as she delves deeper into the implications of this cyberattack on St. Paul and its residents.
In the meantime, local IT departments often lack the resources to recover and manage such events without outside support, as in this case, where St. Paul is part of the outside support. Jonathan Wrolstad, the cybersecurity expert, suggests not using the same password for multiple websites and platforms as a precautionary measure.
[1] Cybersecurity Ventures [2] Verizon 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report [3] IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2022 [4] Cybersecurity Dive [5] CSO Online
- Given the ongoing digital attack on St. Paul, it is essential for city staff to practise precautionary measures, such as safeguarding their digital and financial identities, as advised by Mayor Melvin Carter.
- The scale and nature of the cyberattack in St. Paul are currently under investigation, but cybersecurity expert Jonathan Wrolstad foresees it as severe, with the attackers potentially building a database of usernames and passwords.
- In the midst of this cyberattack, residents should remain alert and avoid clicking on suspicious links, email attachments, or phony bills to protect themselves from potential online threats.
- As cyberattacks can involve significant recovery times, St. Paul may turn to external resources, such as the Minnesota National Guard and other local IT departments, to aid in restoring services. Industry reports like those by Cybersecurity Ventures, Verizon 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report, IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2022, Cybersecurity Dive, and CSO Online can provide valuable insights into recovery strategies and best practices for managing such events.
