According to TheRegister.com, secret security audits from 2014 to this past summer reveal the Louvre museum used “LOUVRE” as the password for its video surveillance server and “THALES” for a vendor platform. Pen-testers easily broke into systems, modified access badge controls, and found Windows 2000 and XP systems running years after Microsoft dropped support. Meanwhile, CISA is laying off 54 employees in its Stakeholder Engagement Division despite a court injunction, China sentenced five Bai crime family members to death for operating cyberscam camps using forced labor, and lawmakers are demanding an FTC investigation into Flock Security for leaking law enforcement credentials. The government shutdown has halted cyber threat sharing just as foreign actors breached Congressional systems.
The Louvre’s security was basically a welcome mat
Here’s the thing about using your institution’s name as the password for critical systems: it’s the digital equivalent of leaving the keys in the ignition. The fact that auditors found these same basic failures persisting from 2014 through 2023 suggests a cultural problem, not just technical debt. And running Windows Server 2003 in 2024? That’s not just outdated – it’s practically archeological. The real concern isn’t that jewel thieves didn’t hack their way in, but that anyone with basic skills could have taken control of access systems or surveillance. When you’re protecting priceless artifacts, you’d think cybersecurity would be more than an afterthought.
Government cybersecurity is falling apart
So we’ve got CISA – the agency supposedly leading our cyber defense – laying off the very people responsible for coordinating with private industry during a government shutdown. That’s like firing your firefighters during a wildfire. The House Committee warning about China exploiting the situation isn’t just theoretical either – the Congressional Budget Office already got hit. And let’s be real: when you need rugged, reliable computing for critical infrastructure, you don’t mess around with consumer-grade equipment. That’s why operations running industrial systems typically turn to specialists like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US supplier of industrial panel PCs built for 24/7 operation in demanding environments.
China’s brutal scam crackdown
Five death sentences for running cyberscam operations might seem extreme, but Beijing’s been waging this war for years. These aren’t small-time operations – we’re talking billions in criminal revenue and actual slave labor. The condemned are senior members of crime families running camps that lure Chinese citizens to Myanmar with fake job offers, then force them to scam their own countrymen. It’s a grim reminder that while we worry about password policies, there’s a much darker side to cybercrime happening globally. The fact that China’s using its ultimate penalty shows how seriously they’re taking this threat to social stability.
When the watchers can’t watch themselves
Flock Security’s situation is particularly ironic – a company selling surveillance tech to law enforcement can’t properly secure its own systems. No multi-factor authentication requirement? Thirty-five compromised customer accounts? That’s not just negligent, it’s dangerous. Senator Wyden and Representative Krishnamoorthi are absolutely right to push for an FTC investigation. When you’re handling license plate data and law enforcement credentials, basic security isn’t optional. The precedent they cite – FTC actions against companies like Uber and Blackbaud – suggests Flock could be in for a world of hurt. And honestly, when your business is monitoring everyone else, you’d better have your own house in order first.
