A password so simple, a heist so grand: The Louvre’s $102 million robbery exposes a shocking truth about its security

Weeks after a daring $102 million robbery at the Louvre Museum in Paris, investigators have revealed a discovery almost as unbelievable as the heist itself — the museum’s main security system was protected by the password “LOUVRE.”

The revelation came to light during an investigation by France’s National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI), which was brought in after the October 19 robbery that left the art world stunned. According to a report in the New York Post, ANSSI found that the museum’s core surveillance network — responsible for monitoring its priceless art and artefacts — was using the simplest possible password.

What’s more surprising is that this wasn’t a new problem. Confidential documents obtained by French newspaper Libération showed that ANSSI had already warned the museum about the same issue more than a decade ago.

Back in 2014, a security audit flagged “serious shortcomings” in the Louvre’s digital systems, including outdated software used to manage critical alarms and cameras. The audit had clearly warned that anyone who gained access could “facilitate damage or even theft of artworks.”

Despite these red flags, it appears the museum never changed its password or fully upgraded its systems. The Louvre has so far declined to comment on the latest findings.

The discovery comes as part of the investigation into one of France’s most audacious daylight robberies. On the morning of October 19, four people dressed in yellow construction vests and motorcycle helmets pulled off a robbery that seemed straight out of a movie.

Using a cherry picker, the gang climbed up to the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery — a glittering hall that houses some of the museum’s most prized jewels. Once inside, they used chainsaws to smash through two reinforced glass display cases and grabbed nine rare items, including a sapphire diadem, necklace, and single earring once owned by 19th-century queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense.

The entire operation was over in minutes — less than eight, according to investigators. The thieves then used the same cherry picker to descend, tried to set it on fire to destroy evidence, and escaped on two scooters parked nearby.

Police have since arrested four suspects — three men and one woman — all from the Seine-Saint-Denis suburb of Paris. Investigators say they are petty criminals with no known ties to organized crime, though some already had extensive criminal records, as reported by CNN.

One of the men reportedly has 11 prior convictions, ten of them for robbery. Another suspect has 15 convictions, including two for theft. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the pattern is worrying.

“I don’t find it that surprising. What we are seeing now is that people with no significant association with organised crime are progressing relatively quickly to committing extremely serious crimes,” Beccuau explained.

The Louvre’s director told French lawmakers that the existing systems had technically functioned during the robbery — but admitted that the attack exposed a new kind of threat. “The security system, as installed in the Apollo Gallery, worked perfectly. The question that arises is how to adapt this system to a new type of attack and modus operandi that we could not have foreseen,” he said.

In the aftermath of the heist, France’s Culture Minister Rachida Dati has announced a series of upgrades to strengthen the museum’s defences. By the end of the year, the Louvre is expected to install new “anti-ramming” and “anti-intrusion” barriers to prevent such attacks in the future.