November 11, 2025

LOUVRE Was the Password?! Cybersecurity Lessons from the Heist

17 minutes

When thieves pulled off a lightning-fast heist at the Louvre on October 19, 2025, the world focused on the stolen jewels. But leaked audit reports soon revealed another story — one of weak passwords, legacy systems, and a decade of ignored warnings.

In this episode of Cyberside Chats, Sherri Davidoff and Matt Durrin dig into the cybersecurity lessons behind the Louvre’s seven-minute robbery. They explore how outdated infrastructure, poor vendor oversight, and default credentials mirror the same risks plaguing modern organizations — from hospitals to banks.

Listen as Sherri and Matt connect the dots between a world-famous museum and your own IT environment — and share practical steps to keep your organization from becoming the next headline.

Key Takeaways

Audit for weak and shared passwords. Regularly scan for shared, default, or vendor credentials. Replace them with strong, unique, role-based passwords and enforce MFA across administrative and vendor accounts.

Conduct regular penetration tests and track remediation. Perform annual or semiannual pen tests that include internal movement and segmentation checks. Assign owners for every finding, set deadlines, and verify fixes.

Vet and contractually bind third-party vendors. Require patching and OS update clauses in vendor contracts, and verify each vendor’s security practices through audits or reports such as SOC 2.

Integrate IT and physical security. Coordinate teams so camera, badge, and alarm systems receive the same cybersecurity oversight as IT systems. Check for remote access exposure and outdated credentials.

Plan for legacy system containment. Identify unsupported systems, isolate them on segmented networks, and add compensating controls. Build a phased replacement roadmap tied to budget and risk.

Create a continuous audit and feedback loop. Assign clear ownership for all audit findings and track progress. Escalate unresolved risks to leadership to maintain visibility and accountability.

Control your media communications. Limit access to sensitive reports and train staff to prevent leaks. Manage breach-related communications strategically to protect reputation and trust.

Don't forget to follow us for weekly expert cybersecurity insights on today's threats.

Resources

Libération / CheckNews – “Louvre as a password, outdated software, impossible updates…” (Nov. 1, 2025)

CNET – “You probably have a better password than the Louvre did — learn from its mistake.” (Nov. 2025)

YouTube – Hank Green interviews Sherri Davidoff on the Louvre Heist

LMG Security – “How Hackers Turned Cameras into Crypto Miners” (Scientific American)

#louvreheist #cybersecurity #cyberaware #password #infosec #ciso

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By Chatcyberside

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