A report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned that Britain's museums and galleries are being left vulnerable to thefts and cyber-attacks that could put priceless collections at risk. The committee said that major security failures in recent years, including the theft of thousands of artefacts from the British Museum and a devastating ransomware attack on the British Library, have exposed serious weaknesses across the sector, but the government has failed to take a strategic approach to preventing similar incidents.
Recent Security Breaches Highlight Systemic Weaknesses
The warning comes less than three years after the British Museum revealed that approximately 2,000 objects had been stolen, damaged, or gone missing from its collections over a period of years, in a scandal that led to the resignation of its director, Hartwig Fischer. In the same year, a ransomware attack on the British Library crippled its digital services for months and led to the theft of staff and user data.
The committee stated that these incidents underscore the need for stronger oversight of both the physical security of collections and museums' digital infrastructure. While the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has facilitated discussions about recent breaches, MPs said it has been unable to identify concrete actions taken across the sector as a result.
International Context and Growing Threats
The concerns come amid growing scrutiny of museum security internationally. Last year, thieves broke into the Louvre's Apollo gallery and stole eight priceless 19th-century French crown jewels in under eight minutes. Such incidents have heightened anxiety among museum directors worldwide.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the chair of the PAC, said: "Cyber-attacks, the theft of items from collections, and a fall in the number of visitors are just some of the issues museums and galleries are fighting to overcome."
Financial Pressures and Visitor Numbers
The report found that although UK museums and galleries generated £563 million in self-generated income in 2024-25 – a 53% real-terms increase compared with 2021-22 – visitor numbers have yet to recover fully to pre-pandemic levels, and institutions continue to face rising staffing and energy costs. There was also a 16% real-terms reduction in government funding after emergency pandemic support came to an end.
MPs said DCMS lacks a clear picture of whether museums and galleries are delivering value for money for taxpayers and has failed to establish meaningful metrics to assess their performance.
Governance and Trustee Vacancies
The PAC also questioned whether the current funding model provides sufficient incentives for museums to become financially resilient. It noted that the government is considering proposals to charge international visitors for entry to national museums, after recommendations made by the Labour peer Margaret Hodge in a recent review.
Concerns were also raised about governance across the sector. As of October 2025, 15% of trustee positions across the 15 government-sponsored museums and galleries were vacant, while the average appointment took 219 days to complete – more than double the government's target of 90 days. MPs called on DCMS to explain how it will ensure boards have the skills needed to oversee increasingly complex organisations.
Call for Stronger Leadership
Clifton-Brown said museums and galleries are "a treasured part of the fabric of our nation" but are being "let down by a lack of leadership" from government. "Our museums and galleries play a priceless role in educating people, preserving our shared history and showcasing our country to the world," he said. "They've made great strides to become more financially resilient, however the lack of centralised support is leaving them vulnerable."
Vernon Rapley, a museum security consultant and former head of security at the V&A, said business had been "sadly very good for me" during the last couple of years. He said: "Museums are vulnerable. They have high-value items, they're world-famous, public venues, and people will look to exploit that." Rapley added: "I've been thrown off my feet by the level of concern venues have. The British Museum thefts highlighted the insider threat, while cyber-attacks can cause long-term damage to collection management systems. And then you've got the slightly strange Louvre burglary. Despite statistical evidence to show it's not that common, every director in the country is terrified that it might happen to them."
