The City of St. Paul was hit by a “deliberate, coordinated digital attack”, which Mayor Melvin Carter called a sophisticated breach that forced officials to shut down municipal information systems.
Governor Tim Walz activated the National Guard’s Cyber Protection Team, underscoring the seriousness of the incident. The attack crippled city services — knocking out Wi-Fi in public buildings, closing libraries, halting online billing, and restricting public access to essential systems.
And leading the city’s cybersecurity? A Chief Information Security Officer named Stefanie Horvath who didn’t get there through merit, skill, or results — but by cozying up to City Attorney Lyndsey Olson during their Minnesota National Guard days. This was pure cronyism in uniform, and St. Paul is now paying the price.