3 min read

The Downside to Veeam

Picture of Byron Martin Byron Martin : Aug 27, 2025

Managed IT Cybersecurity Compliance

5:14

When choosing a business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) solution, many small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) see quotes for Veeam that appear less expensive than those for other solutions. But here’s the reality: those savings come with higher risk, more maintenance, and weaker protection.

Here’s the thing: Veeam and BCDR are not the same thing.

Veeam and BCDR (Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery) are related but distinct concepts:

Veeam is a software tool primarily focused on data backup and recovery.

BCDR is a broader business strategy that includes backups plus all the systems, processes, and safeguards required to ensure your business keeps running during and after disruptive events.

Veeam can be a component within a BCDR plan, but it is not, by itself, a full BCDR solution. And for SMBs, that distinction makes all the difference.

Why Veeam Isn’t What It Seems

1. Extremely High Maintenance = Human Error

Veeam isn’t “plug-and-play.” It requires constant oversight, patching, and management by internal staff or your IT provider. Each added step introduces room for human error, a leading cause of downtime. In fact, research shows that nearly 70% of business outages are linked to human mistakes. A true BCDR solution reduces this risk with automated updates and validation.

2. Most Attacked and Targeted Backup Solution

Due to its market share and architecture, Veeam has become a favorite target for ransomware groups. Often because it’s not configured securely or patched timely, going hand in hand with reason #1. (Human Error) In fact, the FBI and CISA have issued warnings about Veeam vulnerabilities being actively exploited. Without immediate patching, your backups could become an attack vector instead of your last line of defense.

3. Lack of Quality Control and Validation of Data

Veeam backups rely heavily on proper setup and ongoing monitoring. If backup jobs aren’t tested or validated, you may not realize your data is incomplete or corrupted until you actually need it. Modern BCDR solutions automatically validate backups and use independent recovery points (self-contained restore images) so you know recovery will work before you need it.

4. Questionable Security of Cloud Storage

With Veeam, your backups typically live in storage you provision yourself, like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud. But how secure are those buckets? Misconfigurations are common, and cloud storage breaches are one of the top causes of data exposure incidents each year. Unless encryption and security settings are managed meticulously, your backups could be exposed without you even knowing.

By contrast, true BCDR solutions encrypt backups by default and are maintained by the provider, removing guesswork and reducing the risk of accidental exposure.

5. Hidden Costs Add Up

Veeam licensing may look cheaper on paper, but the real costs add up quickly:

IT labor to patch and maintain
Downtime risk from failed backups or ransomware exploits
Additional cloud storage bills (AWS/Azure/Google Cloud)
Time lost validating and testing backups

A true BCDR solution wraps all of this into one predictable cost, without the surprises and overall reduced business risk.

Veeam vs. True Business Continuity (Comparison Table)

Category	Veeam	True Business Continuity (BCDR Appliance)
Maintenance	High upkeep. Requires constant patching & management.	Low upkeep. Managed by provider with automated updates.
Human Error	Many moving parts—greater chance for misconfigurations & failed backups. Nearly 70% of downtime is tied to human error.	Minimized touchpoints. Automated systems reduce mistakes and keep backups reliable.
Security	Most targeted by ransomware; vulnerabilities must be patched in-house.	Hardened systems; patched and secured by vendor immediately.
Backup Validation	Recovery often depends on chained backups; corruption can break restores.	Each recovery point is self-contained and validated automatically.
Cloud Storage	Relies on customer-managed storage (AWS/Azure). Risk of misconfig.	Encrypted by default. No risk of exposed cloud buckets.
Hidden Costs	Labor, downtime, and cloud storage add-ons increase true cost.	Predictable, all-in-one pricing with lower long-term TCO.
Fit	Built for large enterprises with IT teams.	Designed for SMB simplicity, reliability & peace of mind.

The stakes are high: downtime, compliance failures, and ransomware costs can devastate a small business. What might look like a cheaper upfront costs with Veeam can quickly become more expensive when you factor in labor, patching, downtime, and security risk.

The Bottom Line

When comparing BCDR solutions, don’t just look at the license fee. Look at overall risk, security, resilience, and recovery speed.

Veeam may seem cheaper upfront, but it’s higher risk, higher maintenance, and comes with hidden costs.

True BCDR solutions are fully managed, automated, secure, and designed specifically for SMB needs.

For SMBs, the choice is clear: protecting your data and ensuring business continuity requires more than just backup software, it requires a true business continuity solution.

Teknologize is a SOC 2 Accredited, Professional Technology Services company with clients throughout the Pacific Northwest. We have offices located in: