Knicks Sent Employees Fake Championship Ring Offer in Phishing Test

Phishing Test Deploys Fake Championship Ring Offer

The New York Knicks organization initiated a cybersecurity test by emailing employees a fake offer for championship rings. The email, sent in late September, congratulated recipients and instructed them to click a link to select from two ring designs.

Mandatory Cybersecurity Training for Clickers

Madison Square Garden employees who clicked the link in the phishing email were subsequently required to attend a mandatory cybersecurity class. This measure was implemented to address cybersecurity concerns from owner James Dolan, who also owns the Knicks and the New York Rangers.

Common Corporate Security Practice

Sending simulated phishing emails is a standard practice for corporations to evaluate employees' ability to identify and avoid scams. These test emails often mimic internal communications but include subtle indicators of a phishing attempt, such as misspelled domain names in the sender's address.

Plausibility of the Lure

The effectiveness of the Knicks' phishing test may have been influenced by the plausibility of the offer. NBA team employees typically receive championship rings, though they are less elaborate than those given to players. It is not known if the Knicks' test email contained obvious phishing indicators.