- Louvre criticized for running outdated software and using weak passwords
- The 2017 report warned of an imminent serious attack
- Less than half of the rooms are covered by cameras
The recent major jewelry heist at the Louvre, in which thieves disguised as construction workers stole eight pieces of the crown jewels worth an estimated €88 million ($101 million), may not have been so much of a shock after all.
New reports revealed some shocking security lapses at the iconic museum, including bad passwords and subpar IT protection.
This includes the fact that it’s believed the Louvre’s surveillance server password was the very unimaginative “LOUVRE” – and that’s just the beginning, with investigations into the bug uncovering other cyber security faux pas.
The Louvre theft was going to happen anyway, in one form or another
A review in 2017 had already warned that the threat of a serious attack could no longer be ignored.
After the robbery, France’s National Cyber Security Agency (ANSSI) found that the museum’s office network was still running outdated systems, such as Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003, and lacked adequate anti-virus protection.
While it is unclear whether weak passwords or outdated systems were still in place during the October 2025 robbery, a 2014 report by the French newspaper highlighted Liberation (via Cyber news) confirmed that the surveillance network was protected by “LOUVRE” as a password.
At least museum director Laurence des Cars admitted the thieves were able to gain entry because the “weak” CCTV perimeter failed to pick them up early enough.
The report, leaked to the media a day after the robbery, noted that only 39% of the Louvre’s rooms had cameras last year and that the rollout of additional cameras had been delayed (via The Times).
France’s culture minister, Rachida Dati, claims that the Louvre’s security systems did not fail, however. Dati has since drawn up plans to create a new security department.
Furthermore, the report described French President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to fund a separate room for the Mona Lisa via surcharges for British and other non-EU visitors, per The Times reporting.
So far, four suspects are in custody, but the jewels have not been found.
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