The recent heist at the Louvre in Paris has sent shockwaves through the global art community, exposing profound vulnerabilities in the security systems of one of the world’s most iconic cultural institutions. Thieves managed to break into the Apollo Gallery during broad daylight on October 19, 2025, and stole eight priceless jewels worth a total of 88 million euros ($102 million). While the exact identity of the mastermind behind the robbery remains unclear, seven suspects have been arrested, and four have been formally charged with conspiracy. The brazen nature of the theft, which exploited a glaringly simple security oversight—namely, the surveillance system’s password being ‘LOUVRE’—has drawn widespread condemnation and prompted an urgent reevaluation of cybersecurity measures in museums worldwide.
The Louvre’s security lapses extend far beyond this single incident. According to a leaked report by France’s supreme audit body, Cours de Compte, the museum has long suffered from a