CBS Interviews Element Technologies’ CTO, Craig Sixta, on the Rising Threat of Cyberattacks in Minnesota
Element Technologies’ Chief Technology Officer, Craig Sixta recently appeared on WCCO CBS News Minnesota to discuss the cyberattack on the City of St. Paul and the growing threat of ransomware groups. In Talking Points, Esme Murphy spoke with Craig Sixta about the world of cyberwarfare and how you can stay safe. He shared insights on why these attacks are so hard to stop, the impact of Minnesota’s new cyber reporting law, and how one phishing email can lead to a major breach.
The city of St. Paul's continued recovery from a cyberattack comes at a time when a new law is in place that aims to better track the growing number of cyberattacks across the state. St. Paul has even identified the group that is responsible for its attack. The group is Interlock, and its members have been targeting websites for years.
WCCO asked Craig Sixta, the chief technology officer for Element Technologies, why agencies are not arresting hackers.
"Nobody's arresting them because they are almost always foreign actors. It's very rare for bad actors like this to be operating within the U.S. The FBI is very good at catching them when they're in the U.S, but often they are in Russia, they are in China, they are in Nigeria," said Sixta.
A new Minnesota law requires governments and public entities to report cyberattacks within 72 hours to the state and notify victims whose data has been breached. Starting next year, the law will require the state to issue an annual report on cyberattacks.
Sixta says governments and private businesses invest heavily in trying to protect themselves from cyberattacks, investments that all of us ultimately pay for.
"It's costing billions. I mean literally billions. The amount organizations every company spends on cybersecurity grows every single year," said Sixta.
Sixta says the St. Paul breach, like most breaches, large or small, probably started with one person clicking on a phishing email.
"Nine out of every 10 breaches that we work at Element, maybe even more than that, start with a business email compromise, somebody clicking one business email, one business email and that is the gateway. That's not to say that there aren't other ones, but this is by far the most common. Emails are the gateway for bad actors," said Sixta.
Watch the full segment below to learn how these attacks happen and what can be done to protect against them.
About Esme Murphy
Esme Murphy, a reporter and Sunday morning anchor for WCCO-TV, has been a member of the WCCO-TV staff since December 1990. She is also a weekend talk show host on WCCO Radio. Born and raised in New York City, Esme ventured into reporting after graduating from Harvard University.
© 2025 CBS Broadcasting Inc.
About Element Technologies
Element is a nationally recognized, award-winning technology company specializing in IT services, cybersecurity, document management, automation & AI and technology training. With deep industry expertise and a commitment to innovation, Element delivers strategic solutions that empower organizations to operate securely and efficiently. The company is uniquely focused on the legal industry, serving over 500 law firms and corporate legal teams across the United States and internationally. By combining cutting-edge technology with unparalleled industry insight, Element helps business professionals navigate complex challenges and achieve lasting success..
