Veeam Backup & Replication v13 – Comprehensive Malware Detection and Ransomware Defense

Introduction

Version v13 marks a significant leap in malware detection capabilities. Compared to the real-time detection already available in the v12 era, v13 brings qualitative improvements in threat response mechanisms, platform coverage, and intelligent capabilities.

The latest Veeam Backup & Replication v13 takes data protection to the next level with a built-in malware detection engine, providing deeper visibility and faster response to cyber threats.

This article explores the comprehensive malware detection features in Veeam v13, how they integrate with existing ransomware defense mechanisms, and practical tips to maximize your backup security.

 In my previous articles, I've detailed v12's ransomware attack detection principles and configuration methods. Today, we'll build on that foundation to examine v13's key upgrades.

👉 Related reading: VBR Security Feature Deep Dive – Malware and Ransomware Protection

v12 Detection Capability Review: Separation of Detection and Response

During the v12 era, Veeam's malware detection primarily relied on two mechanisms:

• Inline Entropy Scan - Real-time analysis of data block entropy changes during backup to detect encryption behavior
• Index Scan - Analysis of abnormal behavior patterns through file system indexing

The characteristic of these two features was that detection was separate from handling - the system could detect threats in real-time, but the response process required manual intervention. In practical use of v12, this mechanism had several clear limitations:

• Low response automation: After detecting suspicious activity, it mainly relied on administrators to handle it manually
• Limited platform support: Detection capabilities were primarily focused on Windows environments
• Insufficient depth analysis: Lacked further threat analysis capabilities after detecting threats

I believe v13 shows substantial progress in this detection capability, beginning the evolution from "detection" to "intelligent response."

What’s New in Veeam v13 Malware Detection

In VBR v13, malware detection is now an integral part of every backup and recovery workflow.

Key Enhancements Include:

• Real-time malware scanning during backup and restore operations.

• Integration with antivirus and EDR tools for automated threat analysis.

• Anomaly detection that flags unusual changes in data patterns.

• Centralized reporting dashboard to monitor all alerts from one console.

📖 Reference: Veeam v13 Release Notes

V13 Active Response Mechanism: From Detection to Automatic Protection

Proactive investigation: Enhanced threat verification methods

The most important improvement in v13 is the introduction of active backup scanning mechanism. The core concept of this feature is: once suspicious activity is detected during backup, the system immediately triggers more in-depth signature scanning rather than waiting for users to make additional manual judgments.

Software settings:

1. Open the VBR console, go to the top-left Hamburger menu → Malware Detection Setting
2. In the original Signature Detection settings, v13 adds new Proactive investigation options:

The first checkbox enables the active scanning mechanism, while the second option provides further processing, allowing the system to automatically resolve malware incidents based on scan results.

Actual usage effects:

In a simulated ransomware attack test environment, when backup jobs detected large-scale file encryption:

• v12 detected malware: Marked backup as Suspicious, sent alerts, waited for administrator handling
• v13 detected malware: Immediately triggered signature scanning, after confirming threats directly marked as Infected or if no threat was found, re-marked as Clean.

During the v12 era, I frequently heard from customers who discovered Veeam reporting backup archives as Suspicious status but didn't know how to proceed or what was happening. Now with v13's options, we can immediately trigger detection through Veeam without waiting, truly identifying whether problems exist.

Cross-Platform Unified Protection: Linux and Cloud Environments Are No Longer Forgotten Corners

Comprehensive Support for Linux Environments

Another breakthrough in v13 is the full coverage of malware detection capabilities on the Linux platform, which I consider an important part of comprehensive Linux support.

Linux Detection Capabilities:

1. Suspicious file system activity analysis - Same detection logic as the Windows platform
2. Veeam Threat Hunter scanning - Signature-based malware detection
3. YARA rule support - Custom threat detection rules

Key Configuration Points for Practical Use:

For malware detection in Linux environments, pay attention to several special configurations:

1. File system selection: Special characteristics of certain file systems (like Btrfs, ZFS) may affect detection accuracy
2. Permission management: Ensure backup agents have sufficient permissions to read all files requiring detection
3. Performance impact: In resource-constrained Linux environments, detection frequency adjustments may be necessary

Specific Operational Steps:

For agent-based Linux backups, malware detection configuration is basically consistent with Windows environments. It's primarily configured globally through the VBR console's Malware Detection settings, then enabled in specific backup jobs.

Security Protection for Cloud Backups

As more users adopt public cloud, cloud environment security becomes crucial. v13 extends malware detection capabilities to cloud backups:

Supported Cloud Platforms:

• Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure
• Veeam Backup for AWS
• Veeam Backup for Google Cloud

Usage and configuration, including supported capabilities, are essentially identical to Linux and won't be repeated here.

Antivirus Integration for Linux Mount Servers

v13 supports Linux Server as a Mount Server - this is a fully functional Mount Server. The Secure Restore and Security Scan capabilities available on Windows Mount Servers have been extended to Linux Mount Servers, with equal support for Veeam Threat Hunter signature scanning:

Announced Supported Antivirus Solutions for Linux Versions:

• ClamAV - Open source and free, suitable for budget-conscious environments
• ESET - Commercial solution with strong detection capabilities
• Sophos - Enterprise-grade protection with a user-friendly management interface

Configuration Example:

Using ClamAV as an example, you need to install ClamAV on the Linux mount server, then select the appropriate Linux server in the VBR console's Backup Infrastructure → Mount Servers. During use, both scan backup and Secure restore can call the antivirus software for scanning.

Summary and Recommendations

v13's malware detection capabilities represent a qualitative leap from passive detection to active protection. Several recommendations for actual deployment:

• Gradual implementation: First, validate all new features in test environments before gradually rolling out to production
• Performance monitoring: Closely monitor the impact of new features on backup performance, making adjustments when necessary
• Strategy optimization: Customize detection strategies according to business characteristics, avoiding one-size-fits-all configurations
• Regular drills: Conduct regular malware detection drills to ensure response process effectiveness

These improvements in v13 show us the new positioning of backup systems in overall security architecture - no longer just passive data protectors, but active participants in security defenses. In practical use, proper configuration of these features can significantly enhance an organization's ability to counter modern threats like ransomware attacks.

The Veeam Backup & Replication v13 Malware Detection feature marks a major leap in data protection and cyber resilience.

By combining real-time malware scanning, immutable backups, and AI-powered anomaly detection, Veeam v13 provides the strongest defense yet against ransomware and data corruption.

Stay ahead of cyber threats — upgrade to VBR v13 and protect your backups with confidence.

Veeam Backup Security Deep Dive – How VBR Protects Against Malware and Ransomware

Introduction

Cyber threats like ransomware and malware are now targeting backup repositories, making backup security more critical than ever.
In this article, we take a deep dive into Veeam Backup & Replication (VBR) security features, exploring how Veeam protects your data with immutability, anomaly detection, and layered defense mechanisms.

In addition to online scanning of backup data streams, VBR now also supports secondary scanning of backed-up data. Version 12.1 features two major scanning engines: one uses antivirus software on the Mount Server, and the other uses YARA.

YARA Scanning Engine Tool

YARA (full name: Yet Another Recursive Acronym).

Official website link: https://yara.readthedocs.io/en/latest/.

GitHub repository link: https://github.com/virustotal/yara/.

YARA is typically used to help security experts and researchers identify and classify malware. It is primarily used for malware research and detection. It can scan for text or binary code patterns.

The YARA tool generally consists of two parts. One part is the YARA scanning engine itself, which can be installed on various platforms. The other part is YARA rules, which are matching rules written by users based on actual needs. When using YARA, the simple logic is that the YARA engine calls YARA rules to scan the corresponding content that needs to be scanned and outputs the scan results.

In VDP v12.1, the YARA tool was added. Backup and security administrators can directly call pre-written YARA rules from the VBR console to scan backup archives. There is no need to manually set up a YARA runtime environment yourself.

YARA Rules

Regarding YARA rules, the syntax is actually very simple. You can refer to the official documentation at https://yara.readthedocs.io/en/stable/writingrules.html. Related rule templates can be found on GitHub at https://github.com/Yara-Rules/rules.

VBR comes with three classic YARA rule templates built in, which can serve as references for writing.

Of course, it's not so troublesome now. Various GPTs can help us easily write a YARA rule, for example:

How YARA Scanning Works

Save the content generated by Chat GPT above into a file ending with .yar or .yara, then place it in the C:\Program Files\Veeam\Backup and Replication\Backup\YaraRules directory. VBR will automatically recognize these rules.

After starting the scan, VBR will mount the backup archive to the Mount Server, then use the YARA engine on the Mount Server to load the selected YARA rules for scanning.

Of course, since this scanning is for text and binary patterns, it is not limited to malicious code scanning. In fact, it can scan for any key information we want to find.

Mount Server Antivirus Software Scanning

Starting with VBR v10, antivirus software scanning was built into the Secure Restore feature. VBR calls the antivirus software on the Mount Server to scan backup archives. In v12.1, this feature has been integrated into Scan Backup, and the built-in supported antivirus software has been further expanded.

Antivirus Software Configuration

In v12.1, six antivirus engines are built-in: Symantec Protection Engine, ESET, Windows Defender, Kaspersky Security, Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools, and Trellix (formerly the well-known McAfee).

Besides these six software options, if other antivirus software needs to be used, Veeam also supports configuring other antivirus software via the AntivirusInfos.xml file. Simply modify the XML file in the %ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Veeam\Backup and Replication\Mount Service directory on the Mount Server and use CLI commands to call the corresponding antivirus software. For more detailed XML configuration methods, refer to the official website's detailed XML syntax attribute description: https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backup/vsphere/av_scan_xml.html?ver=120.

Configuration Methods

On VBR, there are multiple ways to initiate a scan.

1. Select a supported backup archive, right-click, or choose the Scan Backup button on the toolbar to activate the antivirus engine scan or YARA scan dialog.

After starting Scan Backup, a scan dialog will open. At this point, these two engines can be used to perform security scans on the entire backup chain using three different scanning methods.

2. In various whole-machine or disk recovery Secure Restore steps, check the antivirus engine scan or YARA scan option.

3. In SureBackup jobs, check the antivirus engine scan or YARA scan option.

Viewing Scan Results

If the scan results match the content being searched for, VBR will mark the scanned backup archive as Infected status, indicating that malware has been detected.

Complete scan archives are recorded in this directory on VBR: C:\ProgramData\Veeam\Backup\FLRSessions\Windows\FLR__<machinename>_\Antivirus

As with the online malware attack analysis mentioned earlier, detailed scan statuses are also recorded in VBR's History. Scan results can be looked up in History.

The above are some of the new backup archive scanning and inspection methods added in VDP v12.1. They help administrators avoid secondary infections after issues occur and ensure that the restored data is a clean system archive.

Key Veeam Security Features for Malware Defense

🔒 Immutable Backups

Veeam’s immutable backup repositories prevent any modification or deletion of backup data, even by administrators.

• Available for Linux hardened repositories and S3 object storage.

• Ensures ransomware resilience with write-once, read-many (WORM) protection.

📖 Reference: Veeam Immutability Guide

🧠 Malware and Anomaly Detection

Newer Veeam releases include malware scanning integration and anomaly detection capabilities:

• Automatically scans backups for malicious patterns.

• Detects unusual changes in file size or data entropy.

• Integrates with third-party antivirus tools for added security.

👥 Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Minimize insider threats with granular permissions:

• Assign user roles like Backup Operator, Restore Operator, or Auditor.

• Restrict critical actions (e.g., deletion, encryption changes).

• Log every activity for audit traceability.

🧩 Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Add an extra layer of protection by enabling MFA in Veeam Enterprise Manager or console access.
It prevents unauthorized login even if credentials are compromised.

👉 Related reading: Making VBR Login More Secure – Complete Guide

Conclusion

The VBR security features in Veeam Backup & Replication provide an advanced defense framework against malware and ransomware.
From immutable backups to anomaly detection and RBAC, Veeam empowers businesses to secure their data and guarantee safe, reliable recovery when disaster strikes.

Protecting your backups isn’t optional—it’s a core part of modern cybersecurity.