Overview
- An internal email sent in late September promised employees a complimentary 'Employee Championship Ring' but was a simulated phishing message that routed staff who clicked the link into mandatory cybersecurity training.
- The phishing exercise was confirmed by Madison Square Garden Sports after reporting by The Athletic and other outlets revealed the email and internal reactions.
- At the Knicks’ ring and banner ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 20, players received ornate Jason of Beverly Hills rings while several assistant coaches were handed boxes that reportedly did not contain rings that night.
- MSG apologized, said it had recently suffered a real credential-based hack that motivated stronger testing, and announced it will gift more than 275 rings and jewelry pieces worth about $3.7 million with non-player recipients expected to get items in roughly 4–6 weeks.
- The episode has damaged staff trust and created a public relations problem for the organization while raising questions about whether reward-based lures are appropriate for employee cybersecurity training and how teams decide who receives championship jewelry.