- Louvre criticized for running deprecated software and using weak passwords
- 2017 report warned of an impending serious attack
- Less than half of the rooms are covered by cameras
The recent major jewelry theft at the Louvre, where thieves disguised as construction workers stole eight Crown Jewel pieces worth an estimated €88 million ($101 million), might not have been so much of a shock after all.
New reports revealed some shocking security shortcomings at the iconic museum, including poor passwords and below-par IT protections.
This includes the fact it’s believed the Louvre’s surveillance server password was the very unimaginative “LOUVRE” – and that’s just the beginning, with investigations into the failure revealing other cybersecurity faux pas.
The Louvre heist was bound to happen anyway, in one form or another
A 2017 audit had already warned the threat of a serious attack could no longer be ignored.
Following the heist, France’s National Cybersecurity Agency of France (ANSSI) found that the museum’s office network was still running obsolete systems, like Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003, lacking sufficient antivirus protection.
Although it’s unclear whether weak passwords or outdated systems were still in place during the October 2025 heist, a 2014 report highlighted by French newspaper Liberation (via Cybernews) confirmed the surveillance network was protected by “LOUVRE” as a password.
Museum director Laurence des Cars did at least admit that the thieves were able to get access because the “weak” CCTV perimeter failed to pick them up early enough.
The report, leaked to the media a day after the heist, noted that only 39% of the Louvre’s rooms had cameras last year, and that the rollout of further cameras had been delayed (via The Times).
France’s Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, asserts that the Louvre’s security systems did not fail, though. Dati has since set out plans to create a new security department.
Furthermore, the report detailed French President Emanuel Macron’s plans to fund a separate room for the Mona Lisa via surcharges for Britons and other non-EU visitors, per The Times reporting.
As of now, four suspects are in custody, but the jewels have not been found.
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