Ghost Rat Scenario: Metropolitan Research University Theft

Metropolitan Research University: Leading research institution with $200M in annual research funding, 15,000 students
APT • GhostRAT
STAKES
Research intellectual property + Grant funding + Academic collaboration + Scientific competitive advantage
HOOK
Metropolitan Research University is preparing to publish breakthrough medical research that could revolutionize cancer treatment when faculty notice their research workstations occasionally behaving strangely - data files opening without commands, research presentations being accessed during private meetings, and laboratory systems responding to unauthorized inputs. Sophisticated surveillance malware has been providing foreign competitors complete access to cutting-edge academic research.
PRESSURE
Research publication deadline Friday - any theft of intellectual property threatens scientific competitive advantage and millions in research funding
FRONT • 150 minutes • Expert
Metropolitan Research University: Leading research institution with $200M in annual research funding, 15,000 students
APT • GhostRAT
NPCs
  • Dr. Rachel Foster (Research Vice Provost): Overseeing breakthrough medical research, unaware that foreign competitors have been monitoring confidential research meetings and stealing intellectual property through compromised faculty workstations
  • Professor Alan Martinez (Lead Research Scientist): Discovering that confidential research data and scientific methodologies may have been accessed through sophisticated academic surveillance malware
  • Director Lisa Chen (Technology Transfer Office): Investigating potential intellectual property theft as valuable research discoveries and patent applications appear to have been compromised
  • Agent Kevin Park (FBI Economic Espionage Unit): Leading investigation of suspected foreign targeting of university research and systematic theft of American scientific intellectual property
SECRETS
  • Research faculty clicked on sophisticated academic collaboration emails containing convincing scientific documents during breakthrough research development
  • Foreign competitors have had complete remote surveillance of research workstations for months, monitoring confidential meetings and stealing scientific intellectual property
  • Stolen research data and scientific methodologies may have been transferred to foreign research institutions and commercial competitors

Scenario Details for IMs

Opening Presentation

“It’s Tuesday morning at Metropolitan Research University, and faculty are completing final preparations for publishing breakthrough medical research that could revolutionize cancer treatment and secure millions in follow-up funding. But during confidential research meetings, scientists notice troubling signs: workstations performing unauthorized actions, research data files opening automatically, and laboratory equipment responding to commands no one issued. Investigation reveals sophisticated surveillance tools providing foreign competitors complete access to cutting-edge academic research and intellectual property.”

Initial Symptoms to Present:

  • “Research workstations showing signs of remote control during confidential scientific meetings”
  • “Confidential research data being accessed automatically during private faculty collaboration sessions”
  • “Screen surveillance and data theft detected on systems containing breakthrough scientific discoveries”
  • “Network traffic indicating exfiltration of research intellectual property to foreign academic and commercial networks”

Key Discovery Paths:

Detective Investigation Leads:

  • Digital forensics reveal sophisticated foreign academic espionage remote access trojan targeting scientific research
  • University network analysis shows targeted spear-phishing campaign using convincing academic collaboration documents
  • Research intellectual property timeline indicates months of undetected foreign surveillance of breakthrough scientific development

Protector System Analysis:

  • Research workstation monitoring reveals real-time surveillance and theft of confidential scientific data and methodologies
  • Laboratory system assessment shows unauthorized foreign access to research discoveries and patent applications
  • Academic network security analysis indicates coordinated campaign targeting multiple research universities and scientific institutions

Tracker Network Investigation:

  • Command and control traffic analysis reveals foreign academic espionage infrastructure targeting American research institutions
  • Scientific intelligence coordination patterns suggest nation-state and commercial competitor targeting of research intellectual property
  • Research collaboration communication analysis indicates systematic foreign targeting of high-value scientific discoveries

Communicator Stakeholder Interviews:

  • Faculty interviews reveal suspicious computer behavior during confidential research meetings and scientific collaboration
  • Research funding coordination regarding potential compromise of intellectual property and grant applications
  • Academic community coordination with other universities experiencing similar research targeting and intellectual property theft

Mid-Scenario Pressure Points:

  • Hour 1: Major research funding agency discovers potential compromise of breakthrough discoveries affecting future grant awards
  • Hour 2: FBI economic espionage investigation reveals evidence of foreign targeting of American scientific competitive advantage
  • Hour 3: Research intellectual property found on foreign academic networks affecting scientific publication and patent applications
  • Hour 4: Technology transfer assessment indicates potential compromise of multiple valuable scientific discoveries and commercialization opportunities

Evolution Triggers:

  • If investigation reveals research theft, scientific competitive advantage and funding relationships are compromised
  • If surveillance continues, foreign competitors maintain persistent access to breakthrough scientific research
  • If intellectual property theft is confirmed, university research mission and academic collaboration are threatened

Resolution Pathways:

Technical Success Indicators:

  • Complete foreign surveillance removal from research systems with preservation of intellectual property protection evidence
  • Scientific research security verified preventing further unauthorized foreign access to confidential discoveries
  • Foreign espionage infrastructure analysis provides intelligence on coordinated academic targeting and intellectual property theft

Business Success Indicators:

  • Research publication and funding protected through secure forensic handling and intellectual property coordination
  • Academic relationships maintained through professional incident response and research security demonstration
  • Scientific competitive advantage preserved preventing loss of research leadership and commercialization opportunities

Learning Success Indicators:

  • Team understands sophisticated foreign academic espionage capabilities and long-term research targeting operations
  • Participants recognize university research targeting and intellectual property implications of scientific discovery theft
  • Group demonstrates coordination between cybersecurity response and academic research protection requirements

Common IM Facilitation Challenges:

If Foreign Academic Espionage Sophistication Is Underestimated:

“Your malware removal is progressing, but Professor Martinez discovered that foreign competitors have been watching confidential research meetings in real-time for months. How does comprehensive academic surveillance change your intellectual property protection approach?”

If Research Competitive Advantage Implications Are Ignored:

“While you’re cleaning infected systems, Agent Park needs to know: have breakthrough scientific discoveries been transferred to foreign research institutions? How do you coordinate cybersecurity response with economic espionage investigation?”

If Scientific Collaboration Impact Is Overlooked:

“Dr. Foster just learned that research methodologies and patent applications may be in foreign hands. How do you assess the impact on scientific competitive advantage and academic collaboration security?”

Success Metrics for Session: