(TNS) — Three days after St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter announced a local state of emergency, the St. Paul City Council voted Friday to extend it for 90 days, granting the mayor added time to oversee a coordinated response to a sophisticated cyberattack that has required assistance from the FBI and the Minnesota National Guard’s cybersecurity experts.
The security breach of the city’s Internet-based information systems was first detected Friday, and by Monday, it became apparent that the breach could not be contained by the city’s Office of Technology and Communications alone. City officials have not indicated if they know who is behind the attack or if there has been a ransom demand.
Carter has said he was unaware of any personnel data that had been obtained in the incident, but he has acknowledged the city is not leading the criminal investigation, which has pulled in the FBI and the Minnesota National Guard’s cyber security unit.