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Louvre Heist Exposes Years of Security Failures, Including 'Louvre' as Camera Password

Fresh audit disclosures detail trivial passwords alongside obsolete systems that left the museum exposed.

Overview

  • Police are probing the October 2025 theft of eight 19th-century crown jewels worth about €88 million (roughly $100 million), with suspects largely detained but the pieces still missing except one dropped during the getaway.
  • An internal review reported the entire surveillance network was protected by the single password “Louvre,” raising concerns about remote access to cameras.
  • Audits dating to 2014 cited basic lapses such as unsupported Windows systems and weak credentials, including a Thales platform reportedly secured with the password “THALES.”
  • Penetration testers cited by French media said they could reach video systems and even modify badge-access rights using easily guessable logins.
  • Security gaps extended to the physical realm, with only about 39% of rooms covered by CCTV in 2024 and reports that thieves reached a balcony using an electric ladder after exploiting unguarded access points.