- Hackers stole Uffizi photographic archives but backups restored
- Reports claim codes, passwords and cards were recovered
- The museum denies these claims and says the improvements were planned in advance
The Uffizi Galleries, one of Italy’s most popular museums, has confirmed that it suffered a cyberattack in early 2026 in which it lost a trove of sensitive data.
Located in Florence, the Uffizi Gallery houses works by some of the world’s most famous artists, such as Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and others.
In early February 2026, the museum was attacked by anonymous hackers who “emptied the servers” and destroyed all the archives of the photographic department. However, the museum backed up the entire archive, allowing it to quickly restore anything that had been lost.
Article continues below
Replacement of equipment and moving of valuables
A report of Cybernews cites local media reporting that the attackers stole “codes, passwords, alarm systems, internal maps, entrances, exits and service routes”, as well as the locations of surveillance cameras and sensors.
But the museum denied the claims, saying there was “no evidence” that the scammers took any cards. He also said the location of the cameras can easily be seen by simply entering the museum and looking up.
Hardware replacement is still in progress. However, it says police recommended the upgrade in 2024 because the cameras were analog rather than digital.
The museum also moved some of its possessions to a Bank of Italy vault and closed parts of the palace days after the breach. This too was allegedly planned months in advance and had nothing to do with the incident.
Cybernews said the hackers contacted the museum director via text message, threatening to release the stolen files on the dark web unless a ransom was paid. We don’t know what the answer was, but so far nothing has been leaked.
The best antivirus for every budget
Follow TechRadar on Google News And add us as your favorite source to get our news, reviews and expert opinions in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can too follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp Also.
