Dilanian Orders Cyber Classes After Staff Take Bait on Fake Ring Email

The New York Knicks organization mailed staff an email in late September inviting them to pick between two designs for an employee championship ring. The subject line read "Congratulations, your Employee Championship Ring is here" and the message pointed recipients to a link. The New York Times reported Thursday that the offer was a simulated phishing test, not a real giveaway.

Madison Square Garden employees who clicked the link had to attend a mandatory cybersecurity class. Team sources described the training to the Times. The report said the session was meant to address growing concerns owner James Dolan has about the organization's cybersecurity posture. Dolan owns the Knicks, the New York Rangers and Madison Square Garden.

Large companies routinely send simulated phishing messages to identify which staff members fail to recognize warning signs in suspicious email. Such tests are frequently made to look as though they come from the employer. The New York Times reported that it is not clear whether the Knicks message contained any obvious tells, such as a misspelled domain.

Joe Vardon, a senior NBA writer for The Athletic, noted that most employees of NBA teams typically receive rings, though theirs are not as elaborate or costly as the players' versions. The Athletic was acquired by The New York Times in 2022 and later merged into the parent news organization. The lures also arrived after the Knicks won their first NBA championship in more than 50 years.

Vardon's article examined a separate ring-related episode. On Tuesday, the Knicks raised their first league championship banner since 1973. Assistant coaches received boxes with no rings inside and are expected to get them later.