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Audit Reveals Louvre Used 'LOUVRE' as Video Security Password Years Before Heist

Audits since 2014 warned that the museum’s security network was vulnerable.

PARIS, FRANCE - OCTOBER 19: A French Forensics Officer examines the cut window and balcony of a gallery at the Louvre Museum which was the scene of a robbery at the world famous museum earlier in the day on October 19, 2025 in Paris, France. France's Culture Minister, Rachida Dati, announced the closure of the world-famous art museum on X due to the robbery taking place just after the Louvre opened to the public. It is being reported that millions of pound with of historic jewellery belonging to Napoleon and Empress Josephine has been stolen (Photo by Kiran Ridley/Getty Images)
A soldier patrols in courtyard of the Louvre museum, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025 in Paris. (AP Photo/Emma Da Silva)
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Overview

  • A 2014 audit by France’s cybersecurity agency ANSSI found the server managing the Louvre’s video surveillance could be accessed with the password “LOUVRE,” and testers demonstrated they could manipulate camera feeds and modify badge access.
  • Subsequent reviews documented serious deficiencies, with records indicating core security software dated to 2003 and still running on unsupported Windows Server 2003 well into 2025.
  • Police say several people have been arrested in the October robbery; four suspects have been charged and the eight stolen Napoleonic jewels have not been recovered.
  • A suspect identified by officials as Abdoulaye N, whose DNA was reportedly found on a display case and items at the scene, had his trial in an unrelated case postponed as his lawyers cited transfer complexities.
  • Authorities have not confirmed that the old cyber weaknesses were used in the heist, and Culture Minister Rachida Dati said anti-ramming and anti-intrusion measures will be installed outside the museum within two months.