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Winona Today
By the People, for the People
Winona County Battles Second Cyberattack This Year
National Guard cyber teams work to restore services after attack shuts down DMV and vital records.
Apr. 10, 2026 at 9:49pm
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The aftermath of a cyberattack on Winona County's IT infrastructure exposes the vulnerabilities of local government systems.Winona TodayWinona County's main IT system remains down after a cyberattack on Tuesday, forcing the county to operate many services with pen and paper. Emergency services have continued without disruption, but the Department of Motor Vehicles and Vital Statistics are currently unavailable as the county works with the Minnesota National Guard cyber protection team and third-party security experts to identify affected systems, secure the network, and safely restore operations.
Why it matters
Cyberattacks on local government systems can have widespread impacts on critical public services, creating disruptions for residents and raising concerns about the vulnerability of municipal infrastructure to digital threats. This is the second such attack on Winona County this year, underscoring the persistent and evolving nature of cybercrime targeting smaller jurisdictions.
The details
According to Ben Klinger, Winona County Emergency Management Director, the county made the decision early on to take parts of its network offline to contain the threat from Tuesday's cyberattack. This disrupted normal county operations, forcing many processes to be done manually with pen and paper. Services within the Department of Motor Vehicles and Vital Statistics remain unavailable, as they require an internet connection to the state. Residents with immediate needs in these areas are being directed to seek assistance in neighboring counties.
- The cyberattack on Winona County's IT system began on Tuesday, April 9, 2026.
- This is the second cyberattack Winona County has experienced so far in 2026, with the previous incident occurring in January.
The players
Ben Klinger
Winona County Emergency Management Director, who is overseeing the county's response to the cyberattack.
Minnesota National Guard
A cyber protection team from the Minnesota National Guard is assisting Winona County in responding to the cyberattack.
What they’re saying
“We train and plan for situations like this, and those plans are working. Early in the incident, we made the decision to take parts of our network offline to contain the threat. The step was necessary to protect our systems, even though it created a disruption.”
— Ben Klinger, Winona County Emergency Management Director
“This is detailed, methodical work — identifying affected systems, securing the network and restoring operations safely. Progress is being made.”
— Ben Klinger, Winona County Emergency Management Director
What’s next
The county is working to gradually bring individual systems back online as they are verified and deemed secure. Winona County officials are also continuing their investigation into the previous cyberattack that occurred in January.
The takeaway
The repeated cyberattacks on Winona County's IT infrastructure highlight the growing threat that municipalities face from sophisticated digital threats. This incident underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity measures, incident response planning, and cross-jurisdictional collaboration to protect critical public services.
