Project GENOME: Counter-Espionage Operation

MISSION REPORT: OPERATION GENOME

Target Entity: Oncology Research Division (Biotech)
Asset Class: Pre-Clinical Trial Data & Molecular Structures
Threat Vector: Malicious Insider (Industrial Espionage)

The Strategic Context

For a Biotech firm, the Intellectual Property (IP) is the only asset. Our client was preparing for a major IPO based on a breakthrough cancer treatment. Suddenly, a competitor in a non-extradition Asian jurisdiction filed a patent with suspiciously similar molecular structures.

The Board feared a breach. However, traditional IT logs showed no external intrusion, no firewall alerts, and no phishing success. They were bleeding from the inside.

The Intervention: Counter-Intelligence

Intarmour treated this not as an IT ticket, but as a Counter-Espionage Operation. We deployed our forensic analysts on-site under the cover of a "Network Upgrade" team.

Phase 1: Silent Watch We deployed User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) agents on the R&D network. We mapped the "Baseline" activity of the 50 scientists: who accesses what, when, and how.

Phase 2: The Trap We placed "Canary Files" in the secure directory—documents that looked like critical trial results but were fake. These files contained tracking beacons that would alert us if opened or moved off-network.

Phase 3: Forensic Capture The beacon triggered. We traced the activity to a Senior Researcher with high-level clearance. Detailed analysis of his workstation revealed sophisticated tradecraft. He was not emailing files. He was using Steganography software to hide encrypted chemical formulas inside the pixels of high-resolution images of "family vacations." He was then emailing these photos to a personal account, appearing entirely innocent to standard filters.

The Operational Outcome

• Threat Neutralized: The employee was confronted with irrefutable forensic evidence, terminated, and legal proceedings were initiated.
• IPO Saved: By proving the theft, the client was able to challenge the competitor's patent filing and reassure their investors, preserving the IPO valuation.
• Sovereign Vault: Critical IP was moved to a Swiss-hosted "Clean Room" environment (VDR) that requires multi-party biometric authorization for any data export.

Strategic Lesson: The most dangerous threat is often the one with a valid building pass.