The recent theft of the French crown jewels from the Louvre Museum, valued at US$102 million (around R$500 million), revealed not only the audacity of the criminals, but also serious flaws in the museum’s security.
According to a report from the French newspaper Liberationan audit revealed that the Louvre’s surveillance system used the password “Louvre” for access, a practice considered “trivial” by the French National Cyber Security Agency (ANSSI).
Investigations carried out since 2014 have highlighted significant vulnerabilities in the museum’s security infrastructure. Specialists managed to break into the security network, manipulating cameras and badge access.
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Furthermore, the museum still used, in 2025, obsolete software and operating systems, such as Windows Server 2003, without support from the manufacturer.
In addition to technological problems, the flow of visitors and easy access to restricted areas during construction were also highlighted as weak points. Reports indicate that the museum faces structural and management challenges that compromise its protection.
Amateurs
According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, the audacious robbery that occurred last month was carried out by petty criminals, and not by organized crime professionals.
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“This is not exactly common delinquency, but a type of crime that we do not generally associate with the high echelons of organized crime,” said Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau in an interview with franceinfo radio.
She added that the profiles of the four people arrested so far — including the girlfriend of one of the suspects — do not correspond to the typical profile of organized crime professionals capable of carrying out complex operations.
French media speculated that the thieves were amateurs, as they dropped the most precious jewel — Empress Eugenia’s crown, made of gold, emeralds and diamonds — during their escape, abandoned tools and other objects at the scene and were unable to set fire to the transporters’ truck before fleeing.
