The Scenario – Key background information
This year’s edition of Phish Stories started with a question, “What if the Las Vegas Convention Center hadn’t been available to host DEF CON?” What if instead, the only option on such short notice was a failing casino hotel, complete with insect infestations and money problems?

It was a scenario too juicy to pass up, so we returned to Las Vegas, this time shining a spotlight on the often-overlooked risks of third-party security. Our story centers around the DoubleThree Hotel and Casino, a unique outlier on the famous Las Vegas Strip. The DoubleThree has carved out a niche for itself by catering to Low Rollers with an unconventional assortment of familiar games from Go Fish and War to digital versions of Connect 4 and Operation. The casino offers a nostalgic throwback to childhood—an approach that once charmed budget-conscious tourists and curious gamblers.
What was once charming has since faded. The hotel’s aging facade is a visible testament to its decline and, more alarmingly, frequent bedbug complaints have tarnished its reputation. Late payments to their Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) have resulted in a notice for discontinuation of support. General Manager Rebecca Sinclair is determined to turn things around. Her bold plan? A temporary rebranding of the hotel and a high-stakes partnership with DEF CON.
With a shoestring budget and intense pressure to succeed, Rebecca has made a risky decision: on an employee recommendation she’s hired BugByte Exterminators, a third-party company that claims expertise in both pest control and cybersecurity—a potential one-stop-shop for the DoubleThree’s two biggest problems.
A social media post from Frank Harrison, the CEO of BugByte, has clued you in to the third-party relationship and potential problems at the hotel and has set you on your journey to becoming THE uninvited guest at the DoubleThree this year.
Two months before the DEF CON event four key individuals are at the helm: a Hotel General Manager desperate for redemption, a Senior Game Development Manager just months away from retirement, a newly appointed Director of Hospitality who is new to the glitz and glam of Las Vegas, and an unconventional overconfident and underqualified exterminator-turned-security-expert who could make or break the entire operation.
You’ll select one or more of the following targets:
Rebecca Sinclair – General Manager DoubleThree Hotel and Casino
Frank Harrison – CEO of BugByte Exterminators
Jack Thompson – Senior Game Development Manager, DoubleThree Hotel and Casino
Kaya Blackfox – Director of Hospitality, DoubleThree Hotel and Casino
Profiles of these individuals, along with key articles, social media posts, and company backgrounds, will be provided.
Your challenge is to blend this material with a creative and humorous backstory crafting a compelling Phish Story!
This year’s edition of Phish Stories started with a question, “What if the Las Vegas Convention Center hadn’t been available to host DEF CON?” What if instead, the only option on such short notice was a failing casino hotel, complete with insect infestations and money problems?
It was a scenario too juicy to pass up, so we returned to Las Vegas, this time shining a spotlight on the often-overlooked risks of third-party security. Our story centers around the DoubleThree Hotel and Casino, a unique outlier on the famous Las Vegas Strip. The DoubleThree has carved out a niche for itself by catering to Low Rollers with an unconventional assortment of familiar games from Go Fish and War to digital versions of Connect 4 and Operation. The casino offers a nostalgic throwback to childhood—an approach that once charmed budget-conscious tourists and curious gamblers.
What was once charming has since faded. The hotel’s aging facade is a visible testament to its decline and, more alarmingly, frequent bedbug complaints have tarnished its reputation. Late payments to their Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) have resulted in a notice for discontinuation of support. General Manager Rebecca Sinclair is determined to turn things around. Her bold plan? A temporary rebranding of the hotel and a high-stakes partnership with DEF CON.
With a shoestring budget and intense pressure to succeed, Rebecca has made a risky decision: on an employee recommendation she’s hired BugByte Exterminators, a third-party company that claims expertise in both pest control and cybersecurity—a potential one-stop-shop for the DoubleThree’s two biggest problems.
A social media post from Frank Harrison, the CEO of BugByte, has clued you in to the third-party relationship and potential problems at the hotel and has set you on your journey to becoming THE uninvited guest at the DoubleThree this year.
Two months before the DEF CON event four key individuals are at the helm: a Hotel General Manager desperate for redemption, a Senior Game Development Manager just months away from retirement, a newly appointed Director of Hospitality who is new to the glitz and glam of Las Vegas, and an unconventional overconfident and underqualified exterminator-turned-security-expert who could make or break the entire operation.
You’ll select one or more of the following targets:
Rebecca Sinclair – General Manager DoubleThree Hotel and Casino
Frank Harrison – CEO of BugByte Exterminators
Jack Thompson – Senior Game Development Manager, DoubleThree Hotel and Casino
Kaya Blackfox – Director of Hospitality, DoubleThree Hotel and Casino
Profiles of these individuals, along with key articles, social media posts, and company backgrounds, will be provided.
Your challenge is to blend this material with a creative and humorous backstory crafting a compelling Phish Story!
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