Primitive Passwords at the Louvre.. Report Reveals Severe Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities

A report by the French newspaper "Libération" revealed that the surveillance camera systems at the Louvre Museum were protected by extremely primitive passwords, the most notable being the password "LOUVRE" to access the surveillance system, while another system's password was "THALES", the name of the company that developed the program itself, which sparked a wave of criticism and ridicule in cybersecurity circles.

Questions about the relation of the breach to the robbery

The report comes after a robbery incident that occurred on October 18, resulting in the theft of royal jewelry valued at $102 million. It has not yet been confirmed whether these vulnerabilities facilitated the operation, but the news raised serious questions about the level of cybersecurity in one of the world's most important museums.

Ongoing warnings for years

According to confidential documents, the French National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI) had warned since 2014 about the fragility of sensitive systems in the museum, confirming that their protection was "primitive", and despite repeated reviews until 2025, the problems persist, and the museum continues to operate on outdated versions of operating systems.

The robbers are not "elite criminals"

Investigations indicated that the perpetrators of the theft are not highly skilled professionals as initially thought, as they used a stolen mechanical lift to access the "Apollo Hall", and left within just 4 minutes, but they left the tools behind and failed to burn the lift, according to statements from Paris prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, who described them as "closer to petty criminals" rather than organized gangs.