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Is your password easily guessable? Is it, I don’t know, maybe the name of the world-famous Paris museum you’re trying to protect?
Stealing slut for more $100 million worth of jewelry From the world-famous Louvre Museum on October 19, it captured the world’s attention for obvious reasons. As of Wednesday, French police had arrested seven suspects, but the jewelry had not yet been recovered. Now reports appear It was the Louvre Security issues In the past, including one that does not pass the simplest cybersecurity test: the name of the museum itself, the Louvre, may have been one of its passwords.
the According to what was reported by the French newspaper Liberation The French cybersecurity agency ANSSI reviewed the security of the Louvre Museum in 2014 and 2015. The museum failed miserably.
Part of the review described unguarded access to the roof. This is somewhat relevant today, as the thieves are said to have used an escalator mounted on a truck to reach the balcony and cut out the window panes. It’s not quite the roof, but it appears to be unguarded as well.
The audit also said the museum’s security software at the time ran on Windows Server 2003, which was set to lose support from Microsoft at the time, more than a decade earlier.
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The password for the Louvre Museum was once “Louvre.”
One of the most significant flaws in the Louvre Museum’s cybersecurity was Use slow password. The word “Louvre” appears to be the password to access the museum’s video surveillance. One of the passwords to log in to the computer was “Thales,” the name of the software developer, which we believe was visible on the login screen.
A Louvre representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
While Liberation’s investigation indicated that many of the same problems persist, we do not know what problems Louvre staff corrected in the decade following the audit. The current password for the Louvre Museum may be L0uvr31500$$ now or it may be difficult to guess. Maybe M0n@L1$@?
Now is a good time to update your passwords
Password management options are numerous these days.
If the Louvre report isn’t incentive enough, it’s essential to check your passwords before the holidays, when many people will increase their online shopping time.
Latest CNET poll It shows that nearly half of Americans Engage in risky password habits. Adults in the United States are not shy about using personal information as part of their passwords. Fifteen percent include birthdays or anniversaries, 14% include a pet’s name and 11% use part of a username or a family member’s name.
You can improve your passwords With a few simple stepsor Use a password manager It can create strong passwords and keep them organized. When creating passwords, keep some key points in mind.
- Do not use your name or any identifying information as part of your password.
- Use passwords that include upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Update your passwords if you become aware of a data breach affecting the services you use.
- Don’t leave any unencrypted notes that reveal your password.
Remember, passwords today exist not only on your phone and computer, but also on potentially vulnerable devices like Wi-Fi routers, security systems, and more.