Kaseya Exec: Deepfakes, AI Threats Are On The Rise

‘I believe [MSPs] are the superheroes of the global economy. ... You’re in the trenches, supporting small and medium businesses, and it’s time you start reaping the benefits,’ says Miles Walker, channel development manager at Kaseya.

As more AI-driven attacks are being deployed, MSPs are the ones on the frontlines and must communicate to their customers about these threats, at their level.

“You’re the smart ones in the room, but they need to understand the stakes,” Miles Walker, channel development manager at Kaseya, said to a room full of MSPs at CRN parent The Channel Company’s 2025 XChange NexGen conference, being held in Houston this week.

AI is now supercharging traditional phishing attacks, he said, and in 24 months “deepfakes are something we’re all going to have to deal with.”

He cited examples of recent cyberattacks that exploited real-world crises, like the recent Florida hurricanes and California wildfires where hackers scraped the dark web for insurance lists, targeting people who had just lost everything.

Even major brands aren’t immune.

“I was at a cybersecurity event with 5,000 people when the Omni Hotel chain got hit,” he said. “We couldn’t use our cards, couldn’t get into rooms. Everything was shut down. That’s the reality now.”

And as cybersecurity threats grow more complex and AI accelerates attack sophistication, Walker said MSPs must innovate, communicate and stay vigilant or risk being left behind.

“I believe you are the superheroes of the global economy,” he said to the MSPs in the room. “But you aren’t getting [your] fair share. You’re in the trenches, supporting small and medium businesses, and it’s time you start reaping the benefits.”

Roberto Elizondo, CEO of McAllen, Texas based TriNet International, said he has seen those AI-focused threats and agreed with Walker in that MSPs do need to communicate in a way that clients understand.

“A lot of people are using AI, and they don’t understand it,” said Elizondo. “They think they can just go on free ChatGPT and start punching in personal info … PII, private data, and they don’t realize the risks.”