Minnesota county breach prompts emergency support declaration

Minnesota's Winona County will be receiving support from the state's National Guard in responding to a cyberattack earlier this week that has significantly crippled emergency and municipal services as part of an emergency executive order issued by Gov. Tim Walz, reports StateScoop.

Walz's directive authorizes Minnesota's adjutant general to organize the resources, workforce, facilities, and equipment needed to offer assistance throughout the state and utilize state general funds to acquire the necessary goods and services "until the emergency conditions caused by the cyberattack subside or until it is rescinded by proper authority."

The order noted that the magnitude of the incident has surpassed the internal and commercial response abilities of the county. The state's National Guard would aid in ensuring important municipal services continue as usual. Such a development comes after Winona County's recovery from a January cyber incident, which rendered several systems inoperative, including those used for accessing police files and finalizing real-estate transactions.