Overview
- In late September, Madison Square Garden sent an internal email that appeared to offer employees complimentary Knicks championship rings but was actually a simulated phishing message.
- Employees who clicked the link in that email were required to complete mandatory cybersecurity training as part of the exercise.
- During the Oct. 20 ring-and-banner ceremony at Madison Square Garden, players received rings while several assistant coaches were handed empty boxes and told their rings would arrive later.
- MSG publicly called the choice to use rings as the lure an “unfortunate mistake,” said the test followed a prior hack and extortion using stolen employee credentials, and pledged more than 275 rings and pieces of jewelry valued at about $3.7 million.
- The episode has drawn public criticism and damaged morale for some staff, even as MSG says non-player recipients should get their items in roughly four to six weeks and that the training has already been completed by employees who clicked the link.