The Uffizi Galleries in Florence have confirmed they were subject to a cyber-attack - but denied that the security systems protecting their famous works had been compromised. The Uffizi stressed that nothing had been either damaged or stolen, after hackers were reported to have infiltrated the museum's IT systems and accessed sensitive security data. Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that hackers had infiltrated the museum's IT systems, allegedly extracting access codes, internal maps, and the locations of CCTV cameras and alarms before issuing a ransom demand. However, the Uffizi contested this account, saying its security systems were inaccessible from the outside. The attackers appeared to have moved through interconnected systems, computers, and phones, gradually piecing together a detailed picture of the museum's operations. A ransom demand was reportedly sent to museum director Simone Verde's personal phone, with threats to sell the data on the dark web. The Uffizi is home to some of Italy's most celebrated artworks, such as Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera. The cyber-attack reportedly occurred between late January and early February, affecting not only the Uffizi but also its separate sites at Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens. The museum later clarified the hack had taken place on 1 February. Ever since the Louvre museum in Paris was raided in broad daylight in October, all major museums have had to reassess their security. The Uffizi stated that improvements to security were already being made both before and after the cyber-attack. It stressed its situation was nothing like the Louvre, as analogue cameras had been replaced with digital ones. Despite concerns about the incident, the Uffizi remains open to visitors, with ticketing and public areas largely unaffected.