St. Paul Restores Public Internet Access at Libraries and Recreation Centers Following Cyberattack
St. Paul residents once again have free internet access at all city libraries and recreation centers, officials announced today. The restoration concludes a weeks-long effort to secure the city’s network following a ransomware attack detected on July 25th.
The temporary shutdown of public internet was a precautionary measure taken during the city’s response to the cyberattack, even though the attack itself did not initially compromise public access. The return of this vital service addresses a critical need for many St. Paul residents who rely on these locations for work, education, and essential online services.
“The restoration of our public internet network took an unbelievable amount of work and marks a huge milestone in our recovery,” said Mayor Melvin Carter. “For so many of our residents,this connection is a lifeline to work,education,applying for jobs,and seeking opportunity. Our community is ready to move forward together.”
City staff implemented several security enhancements during the restoration process, including segmenting public internet traffic from internal networks, streamlining access procedures, and establishing an open network environment to ensure safe usage.
Rebecca Ryan, Deputy Director of Public Services for the Library, emphasized the importance of the restored service. “Reliable internet in our libraries has never been more critically important,” she said. “By fully restoring public internet access and public printing, we can once again offer students, families, and job seekers the tools they need to learn, grow, and thrive in their neighborhood libraries.”
