Overview
- In late September Madison Square Garden sent employees an email that looked like an offer for a complimentary Knicks championship ring but was an internal phishing simulation.
- Employees who clicked the link were redirected to mandatory cybersecurity training instead of being fitted for jewelry.
- Players received the Jason of Beverly Hills rings at the pregame ceremony, while several assistant coaches were handed empty boxes and told their rings were not ready.
- MSG publicly acknowledged the exercise as an "unfortunate mistake" on October 23 and said it will provide more than 275 rings and pieces of jewelry worth about $3.7 million.
- The company said the test followed a recent hack using an employee login, a rationale that has heightened staff frustration and raised questions about how MSG balances security drills with recognition for longtime employees.