The Inquisitor: Scenario Planning Guide

Origin: 🤝 Community Contributor: Inver (privacy lawyer, TTRPG publisher)

Overview

This planning guide provides detailed instructions for facilitating “The Inquisitor: Compliance Breach” scenario – a DSAR weaponization attack created by Inver. This guide includes setup instructions, facilitation tips, and adaptation options for different audiences.

Scenario Objectives

  1. Primary Objective: Understand DSAR weaponization risks and compliance process vulnerabilities
  2. Secondary Objective: Develop strategies for monitoring legitimate access channels
  3. Tertiary Objective: Practice cross-functional collaboration between privacy and security teams

Preparation Checklist

Before the Session

Session Materials

Required: - Scenario briefing document - Evidence templates (DSAR request, email headers, access logs) - Role descriptions for participants - Facilitation timeline - Debrief questions

Optional: - Industry-specific compliance guidelines - Real-world DSAR examples - Legal considerations reference - Incident response templates

Facilitation Timeline

Adapted Structure (60 minutes)

Phase Duration Facilitator Focus
Introduction 5 min Quick overview and role assignment
Discovery 15 min Focus on key evidence
Investigation 20 min Streamlined analysis
Response 15 min Prioritize critical decisions
Debrief 5 min High-level discussion

Phase-by-Phase Facilitation

Phase 1: Introduction (10 minutes)

Facilitator Script:

“Welcome to today’s scenario. You are a cross-functional incident response team at Chimera Interactive, a game publisher subject to GDPR and CCPA. Your privacy team has received over 200 Data Subject Access Requests in 72 hours. Something feels wrong. Your task is to figure out what’s happening – and stop it.”

Key Points to Cover: - Explain the scenario context (game publisher, GDPR/CCPA compliance obligations) - Introduce team roles (Privacy Team, Security/SOC, Legal, IT) - Describe The Inquisitor malmon and its abilities - Set expectations for collaboration and decision-making - Outline the timeline and phases

Common Questions to Anticipate: - What is a DSAR? (Brief explanation: Data Subject Access Request under privacy regulations) - How common are DSAR weaponization attacks? (Rare but emerging threat) - What should we focus on first? (Request legitimacy and red flags)

Phase 2: Discovery (20 minutes)

Facilitator Role: - Distribute evidence documents - Encourage participants to identify red flags - Guide discussion on typical DSAR processes - Highlight suspicious elements

Evidence to Provide: 1. DSAR request form (appears legitimate) 2. Email headers (suspicious domain) 3. Recent security awareness training materials 4. Organization’s DSAR processing policy

Facilitation Tips: - Ask open-ended questions: “What stands out to you?” - Encourage team discussion: “How would you verify this request?” - Note observations: “What concerns do you have about this request?” - Avoid leading questions: Don’t suggest answers

Red Flags to Highlight: - Request asks for “all personal health information” (broad scope) - Email domain differs slightly from known patient email - Timing coincides with security awareness training - Request format differs from typical DSARs

Phase 3: Investigation (30 minutes)

Facilitator Role: - Introduce additional evidence as participants request it - Encourage deeper analysis of access patterns - Facilitate discussion on verification methods - Guide exploration of legal requirements

Additional Evidence to Provide: 1. Access logs showing unusual patterns 2. List of recent DSARs (multiple from different “patients”) 3. Comparison of request format vs. typical DSARs 4. Legal requirements for DSAR fulfillment

Facilitation Techniques: - Whiteboard Session: Map out the request verification process - Role Play: Have participants act out verification calls - Scenario Analysis: “What if this happened in your organization?” - Risk Assessment: Prioritize concerns and mitigation strategies

Key Discussion Points: - How to verify requester identity - What additional information is needed - Legal implications of delaying fulfillment - Technical controls for monitoring access

Phase 4: Response (20 minutes)

Facilitator Role: - Guide participants through decision-making process - Encourage development of containment strategies - Facilitate discussion on prevention measures - Help document action plan

Decision Points to Explore: 1. Should we fulfill the request as-is? (No - too many red flags) 2. What additional verification is needed? (ID verification, callback) 3. How can we prevent similar attacks? (Enhanced approval workflow) 4. What are the legal implications? (Balance compliance with security)

Containment Strategy Development: - Technical Controls: Enhanced logging, multi-person approval - Process Controls: Additional verification steps, cross-functional review - Organizational Controls: Updated policies, employee training - Monitoring: Increased surveillance of data access patterns

Action Plan Template:

1. [ ] Request additional verification from requester
2. [ ] Implement enhanced approval workflow
3. [ ] Increase monitoring of data access
4. [ ] Update DSAR processing guidelines
5. [ ] Report to legal and compliance teams
6. [ ] Conduct security awareness training

Phase 5: Debrief (10 minutes)

Facilitator Role: - Lead discussion on key learnings - Connect scenario to real-world applications - Encourage participants to share insights - Collect feedback on the session

Debrief Questions:

  1. Verification Process:
    • How did you verify the legitimacy of the request?
    • What additional verification methods could be used?
  2. Controls and Prevention:
    • What controls could prevent similar attacks?
    • How can you balance data access with security requirements?
  3. Legal and Compliance:
    • What are the legal implications of your response?
    • How do privacy regulations impact your decisions?
  4. Cross-Functional Collaboration:
    • How can you improve collaboration between teams?
    • What challenges did you face working together?
  5. Real-World Application:
    • How would this scenario play out in your organization?
    • What policies would you implement based on this exercise?

Key Takeaways to Emphasize: - Legitimate processes can be weaponized - Compliance mechanisms require security controls - Cross-functional collaboration is essential - Monitoring authorized access is critical - Human element plays a significant role

Adaptation Options

For Different Industries

Healthcare (HIPAA): - Focus on patient data protection - Emphasize HIPAA compliance requirements - Highlight medical record access controls

Finance (GLBA): - Focus on customer financial data - Emphasize GLBA compliance requirements - Highlight financial record access controls

Education (FERPA): - Focus on student records - Emphasize FERPA compliance requirements - Highlight educational record access controls

Retail (CCPA): - Focus on customer personal information - Emphasize CCPA compliance requirements - Highlight consumer data access controls

For Different Experience Levels

Beginners: - Provide more guidance on DSAR processes - Simplify request verification steps - Focus on technical controls - Use more structured facilitation - Provide sample answers

Intermediate: - Encourage independent analysis - Introduce complexity with multiple requests - Focus on process and organizational controls - Use open-ended questions - Encourage debate and discussion

Advanced: - Add multiple simultaneous requests - Include third-party vendor involvement - Introduce legal and regulatory complexities - Encourage development of policies and procedures - Focus on strategic decision-making

For Different Session Lengths

30-minute Version: - Focus on key evidence and decisions - Simplify investigation phase - Streamline response options - High-level debrief

2-hour Version: - Add complexity with multiple requests - Include policy development - Add legal consultation simulation - Include third-party vendor interaction - Comprehensive debrief and action planning

Common Challenges and Solutions

Challenge: Participants Don’t Recognize Red Flags

Solution: - Provide more explicit evidence highlighting issues - Ask targeted questions about specific elements - Share real-world examples of DSAR weaponization - Discuss common indicators of suspicious requests

Challenge: Team Focuses Too Much on Technical Controls

Solution: - Redirect discussion to process and organizational controls - Emphasize the human element in security - Discuss compliance process vulnerabilities - Highlight the importance of cross-functional collaboration

Challenge: Participants Struggle with Verification

Solution: - Provide examples of verification methods - Suggest specific verification steps - Encourage role-playing verification scenarios - Discuss real-world verification challenges

Post-Session Follow-Up

Action Items for Participants

  1. Review Organization’s DSAR Process: Identify potential vulnerabilities
  2. Implement Enhanced Controls: Based on scenario learnings
  3. Conduct Training: On DSAR weaponization risks
  4. Update Policies: Incorporate scenario insights
  5. Monitor Access: Implement enhanced logging and monitoring

Feedback Collection

Session Feedback Questions: 1. What was the most valuable learning from this scenario? 2. What challenges did you face during the exercise? 3. What improvements would you suggest for future sessions? 4. How can you apply these learnings to your work? 5. What additional topics would you like to explore?

Continuous Improvement

For Incident Masters: - Review session recordings (if available) - Collect participant feedback - Identify areas for improvement - Update facilitation guide based on learnings - Share best practices with the community

For Organizations: - Incorporate scenario insights into policies - Implement recommended controls - Conduct follow-up training sessions - Monitor for similar threats - Share lessons learned with peers

Community Contribution

This planning guide was contributed by the community to provide educational content on emerging threats. Community contributions help expand the Malware & Monsters ecosystem with diverse learning opportunities.

Contributor: Inver (privacy lawyer, TTRPG publisher) Contribution Date: 2026-02-10 Origin: Community Focus: Privacy compliance weaponization