Veeam launches Veeam Data Platform 12.3 with AI upgrades

Veeam Software has announced the launch of its updated Veeam Data Platform version 12.3.

The new version of the platform aims to deliver enhanced protection for identity and access management by supporting backups for Microsoft Entra ID. It also introduces proactive threat analysis through tools like Recon Scanner and Veeam Threat Hunter, and employs Generative AI for improved data protection with advanced reporting capabilities.

This release expands Veeam's data portability offerings with comprehensive Nutanix AHV protection. It includes application-aware processing, extensive alerting, and analytics for Nutanix AHV workloads, integrating fully with Veeam Data Cloud Vault's latest update.

Anand Eswaran, Chief Executive Officer at Veeam, explained, "Security starts with identity and authentication, which is why providing backup for Microsoft Entra ID is an important addition to Veeam Data Platform v12.3. Now, we can protect the most used identity and access management system and combine it with new proactive threat analysis tools that better prepare enterprises for cyber threats. As enterprises bolster their security posture and prioritise data mobility, Veeam Data Platform brings the broadest set of capabilities to ensure their data is not only backed up and protected, but resilient. That's critical to keeping business running no matter what happens."

Krista Case, Research Director at The Futurum Group, elaborated on these enhancements, stating, "For IT and security teams, addressing evolving threat vectors and reducing the time to detect and recover from a cyber-attack are top of mind. This necessitates next-generation, AI-driven threat detection and intelligence such as that brought to bear by Coveware's integration into Veeam. Also critical in this most recent VDP release is the ability to protect both Active Directory and Entra ID because identity-based attacks are massively on the rise. Hackers are choosing to log in as opposed to hacking in whenever possible."

The platform's new tools include Recon Scanner, IoC Tools Scanner, and Veeam Threat Hunter, designed to improve cyber resilience. Recon Scanner offers proactive threat assessments using technology from Coveware, aimed at detecting cyber adversary tactics. IoC Tools Scanner notifies organisations of the indicators of compromise to provide preventive measures, while Veeam Threat Hunter enables accelerated malware scanning in backups through machine learning and heuristic analysis, enhancing detection capabilities.

Further improvements involve complete Nutanix AHV protection with Veeam Data Platform v12.3, offering greater security with application-aware processing and deep data observability for Nutanix environments. The integration with Veeam Data Cloud Vault simplifies the process of offsite backup storage in a secure, fully managed cloud-based service, ensuring data resilience and compliance with Zero Trust Data Resilience standards.

Additionally, Veeam Intelligence introduces new AI capabilities that aid administrators by optimising backup performance, addressing potential risks, and enhancing decision-making through AI-driven insights, thus alleviating IT resource workloads.

Paul Sylvester, Head of Technical Services at Ultra Energy, commented on the development, "Ultra Energy operates in nuclear and aerospace industries, where data is especially prone to malicious attacks and highly sensitive. With the launch of Veeam Data Platform v12.3, we see cyber resilience taken to the next level with new capabilities such as Proactive Threat Assessment, IoC Tools Scanner and Veeam Threat Hunter, which expands protection against millions of known malware strains. With Veeam constantly evolving and releasing new technologies, we have added confidence that our data is safe and in our control."