Tech Talk: Local expert weighs in about $100M Louvre jewelry heist

One of the most audacious art heists in history has left the Louvre reeling after more than $100 million worth of jewelry was stolen in broad daylight, and investigators said it didn’t require a Hollywood-style operation.

Cristin Flynn-Goodwin, a cybersecurity expert who spent two decades at Microsoft, told KIRO Newsradio the theft was likely far simpler than it appears.

“This is not Tom Cruise dropping through the ceiling with a Mission Impossible sort of attack,” Flynn-Goodwin said. “My reaction was insider threat. Somebody would have had to know about the security inadequacies at a pretty high level of sophistication.”

Security flaws revealed at the Louvre

In the days following the robbery, investigators uncovered systemic flaws in both the museum’s physical and digital defenses, including some computers still running Windows 2000, which has been unsupported by Microsoft for more than a decade. Less than 40% of the museum’s rooms had working surveillance cameras, and critical security networks were reportedly protected by the password “LOUVRE.”

Museum director Laurence des Cars acknowledged chronic under-investment in information systems and said a full digital overhaul is planned, but it won’t be completed until 2032.

Flynn-Goodwin emphasized that the incident is a cautionary tale for organizations everywhere. “Cyber neglect has real-world consequences,” she said.

The Louvre heist comes amid a spike in similar smash-and-grab attacks across France. Experts warn that the same approach is increasingly mirrored in cybercrime, with criminals using extortion tactics to seize valuable data quickly.

“Life is imitating art, I guess,” Flynn-Goodwin said. “It’s a real problem.”

Investigators continue to search for the missing jewels, while questions grow over how such an elaborate theft could succeed in one of the world’s most famous museums.

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