Louvre Museum’s CCTV system had a shockingly simple password when crown jewels were stolen — Can you guess it?

Investigators have unearthed a shocking flaw in the security system of the Louvre Museum’s security infrastructure weeks after a $102 million dramatic heist at the institution.

At the time of the brazen mega heist, the password for the world-famous museum’s video surveillance system was just “LOUVRE”, according to a report quoting an employee with knowledge of the system.

According to confidential documents obtained by French news outlet Libération, the National Cybersecurity Agency of the country found that the server managing the museum’s video surveillance using the unbelievably easy password.

The password, a namesake for the Louvre Museum, was revealed for the first time by the agency in a 2014 audit. In subsequent audits, officials flagged “serious shortcomings” in the historic museum’s security systems, including the two-decade-old security software.

In its 2014 audit, ANSSI, the national cybersecurity agency wrote that the security network is where “the museum’s most critical protection and detection equipment is connected.”

It warned about potential attacks in the future, saying, “An attacker who manages to take control of it would be able to facilitate damage or even theft of artworks.”

It is still unclear whether Louvre Museum has updated its password since the 2014 audit was conducted.

Louvre jewellery heist: French authorities urged more security

The Louvre Museum was asked by France’s court of auditors to speed up its plans to modernize security on a priority basis.

The auditors, in a report conducted before the October 19 jewellery heist at Louvre, noted major delays in the renovation of the world’s most-visited museum.

Thursday’s report by the Cour des Comptes comes after a series of failings and security issues came to light following the robbery of the Crown jewels robbed in the seven-minute operation.

In a shocking incident, the thieves used a truck-mounted basket lift to reach a window of the Apollo Gallery and fled with the trove in a matter of minutes.

The report, focusing on the 2018-2024 period, said the museum’s investments prioritised “visible and attractive operations” like buying new pieces of art and improving visitor experience. That was “at the expense of the maintenance and renovation of buildings and technical installations, particularly safety and security systems,” it said.

A plan to modernise security equipment was being studied since 2018 but its implementation kept being delayed, the report said. Actual technical work was only to start next year and was planned to be fully implemented by 2032.