Knicks Staff Mandate Cybersecurity Class After Clicking Fake Ring Offer

In late September, the New York Knicks organization dispatched a fake email to its workforce offering free championship rings. The message, which appeared to come from the team itself, included a link prompting recipients to select one of two ring designs. Staff members who clicked the link were subsequently required to attend a mandatory cybersecurity class.

The New York Times reported the incident on Thursday, citing team sources. The training session aimed to address growing concerns regarding cybersecurity held by James Dolan, the owner of the Knicks, the New York Rangers, and Madison Square Garden. The subject line of the test email read, "Congratulations, your Employee Championship Ring is here."

Simulated phishing campaigns are a standard practice in large corporate environments. These tests identify employees who might overlook warning signs in suspicious communications. While many such tests include subtle clues, such as misspelled domain names, it is unclear if the Knicks email contained similar red flags. For comparison, Condé Nast, the parent company of Ars Technica, sends test messages from an address with the misspelled domain "condenest.com."

The offer held a specific appeal because it was not entirely implausible. Joe Vardon, a senior NBA writer for The Athletic, noted that most NBA team employees typically receive championship rings, though their versions are less elaborate and costly than those given to players. The lure carried extra weight because the Knicks recently secured their first NBA title in more than 50 years. This milestone likely made the fake offer feel credible, or at least frustrating, to staff members.

Vardon’s coverage also touched on a separate ring-related event. 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 stated that these staff members are expected to receive their physical rings at a later date.