A password so simple, a heist so grandiose: The $102 million Louvre heist reveals a shocking truth about its security
Weeks after a daring $102 million heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris, investigators revealed a discovery almost as incredible as the heist itself: The museum’s main security system was protected by the password “LOUVRE.”
This revelation was revealed during an investigation by the National Computer Security Agency (ANSSI), opened after the October 19 heist which left the art world stunned. According to a New York Post article, ANSSI found that the museum’s main surveillance network, responsible for monitoring its priceless artworks and objects, was using the simplest password possible.
What’s more surprising is that this wasn’t a new problem. Confidential documents obtained by the French newspaper Libération show that ANSSI had already alerted the museum to the same problem more than ten years ago.
In 2014, a security audit found “serious deficiencies” in the Louvre’s digital systems, including outdated software used to manage critical alarms and cameras. The audit clearly warned that anyone with access could “facilitate the deterioration or even theft of works of art”.
Despite these red flags, it appears the museum never changed its password or completely upgraded its systems. The Louvre has so far refused to comment on the latest findings.
The discovery is part of the investigation into one of France’s most daring daytime robberies. On the morning of October 19, four people dressed in yellow construction vests and motorcycle helmets committed a robbery that seemed straight out of a movie.
Using a cherry picker, the group climbed up to the Louvre’s Apollon Gallery, a glittering room that houses some of the museum’s most precious gems. Once inside, they used chainsaws to smash two reinforced glass display cases and seized nine rare items, including a sapphire tiara, a necklace and a unique earring that belonged to 19th-century queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense.
The entire operation was over in a matter of minutes – less than eight, according to investigators. The thieves then used the same basket to descend, attempted to set it on fire to destroy the evidence, and fled on two scooters parked nearby.
Police have since arrested four suspects – three men and a woman – all from the Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis. Investigators say they are petty criminals with no known links to organized crime, even though some already had lengthy criminal records, as reported by CNN.
One of the men has already been convicted 11 times, including ten for robbery. Another suspect has 15 convictions, including two for theft. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the trend was worrying.
“I don’t find it that surprising. What we’re seeing now is that people without significant ties to organized crime are moving relatively quickly toward committing extremely serious crimes,” Beccuau explained.
The Louvre director told French lawmakers that existing systems had technically worked during the theft – but admitted the attack revealed a new type of threat. “The security system installed in the Apollo gallery worked perfectly. The question that arises is how to adapt this system to a new type of attack and a new mode of operation that we could not have predicted,” he said.
In the aftermath of the heist, French Culture Minister Rachida Dati announced a series of improvements aimed at strengthening the museum’s defenses. By the end of the year, the Louvre is expected to install new “anti-ram” and “anti-intrusion” barriers to prevent such attacks in the future.
