Two Knicks employees required to take security class after clicking fake ring email

Two Madison Square Garden employees who clicked a link in a simulated phishing email are required to attend a mandatory cybersecurity class. The New York Times reported on Thursday that the New York Knicks organization sent the test message to staff in late September.

The email subject line read, "Congratulations, your Employee Championship Ring is here." Recipients were instructed to click a link to select between two ring designs. According to team sources cited in the report, any employee who opened the link was assigned the training course.

James Dolan, owner of the Knicks, the New York Rangers, and Madison Square Garden, reportedly ordered the measure. The training aims to address his growing concerns regarding the organization's cybersecurity posture.

Simulated phishing tests are a standard practice in large corporations. These exercises help identify employees who may overlook warning signs in suspicious correspondence. Such messages often mimic internal communications but contain subtle errors, like a misspelled domain name. For example, Condé Nast, the parent company of Ars Technica, sends test messages from an address ending in "condenest.com."

It remains unclear if the Knicks email contained similar visual red flags. The offer of a ring was not unusual for team staff. Joe Vardon, a senior NBA writer for The Athletic, noted that most NBA employees receive championship rings, although staff versions are typically less elaborate and costly than those given to players.

The timing of the test coincided with the Knicks' recent success. The team won its first NBA championship in more than 50 years. This milestone made the offer of a ring particularly credible to employees.

Vardon’s report also covered a separate incident involving rings. On Tuesday, the Knicks raised their first league championship banner since 1973. During the ceremony, assistant coaches received boxes that did not contain rings. The team expects to distribute their rings at a later date.