The Louvre’s Surveillance System Password Was Reportedly ‘Louvre,’ Reveals Museum Employee

A Louvre employee has disclosed a shocking security oversight following the museum’s recent multimillion-dollar robbery.

On October 18, thieves broke into the iconic Paris museum and, within just seven minutes, stole jewels worth more than $100 million. Investigators discovered that the intruders used power tools to break through a second-floor window in the Galerie d’Apollon (Apollo Gallery), which had been open to visitors at the time.

Laurence des Cars, president and director of the Louvre, told the French Senate that the only camera positioned outside the Apollo Gallery did not capture the window where the thieves entered and exited.

According to a museum employee speaking to ABC News, the security system’s password at the time of the heist was simply “Louvre.” French outlet Libération first reported the detail, citing confidential documents, and noted that France’s National Cybersecurity Agency had identified this vulnerability as far back as 2014 in an internal audit.

Des Cars also told senators last month that the museum’s perimeter security had long been “weak due to underinvestment.” When he took charge in 2021, he said he was “appalled” by the existing security conditions and has since made strengthening them a top priority, ABC News reported.

French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin later told France Inter radio that the museum’s security protocols had “failed” to prevent the four-person heist. “It gives a deplorable image of France,” he said, adding, “The French feel like they have been robbed.”

On October 25, two men were arrested in connection with the robbery. According to Paris Public Prosecutor Laure Beccuau, both suspects “partially admitted their involvement” during questioning. They were charged with organized robbery and conspiracy to commit a crime, and remain in custody pending trial, ABC News reported.

More than a week later, on October 29, five additional suspects were arrested, the Paris Prosecutor’s Office confirmed to ABC News. As of that date, the stolen jewels had still not been recovered. If convicted, those involved could face up to 15 years in prison and significant fines.

The stolen pieces reportedly included a sapphire tiara, sapphire necklace and earring, an emerald necklace and matching earrings, two brooches (one known as the “reliquary brooch”), and other rare items, Reuters reported. The sapphire tiara was later discovered outside the museum, damaged.