Panasonic have announced that its latest Toughbook 40 notebook can be equipped with the Eclypt core encrypted internal solid state drive (SSD).
While the Toughbook 40 is secured by its rugged computer hardware – with one Toughbook undergoing physical resilience tests, instead of the standard practice of using a different device for each test – the software is given the equivalent level of security with the ViaSat produced SSD.
Viasat’s SSD is a solid state self-encrypting hard drive that has been certified for use by Nato and other European countries.
The General Manager for Engineering, Product and Mobility Solutions at Panasonic Mobile Solutions Business Division stated: “This is the next step in extending our partnership with Viasat to offer the highest-level security drives across the Toughbook range.
“With the current geopolitical tensions across Europe and beyond, the demand for this type of highly secure, rugged and modular flexible device is growing every day.”
European security
At an exclusive event in Panasonic’s European factory hub in Cardiff, the company told Army Technology that the Italian Army is an early adopter of the Toughbook 40, convinced from its history as a Panasonic consumer that the Toughbook line provides reliable notebooks for the modern battlespace.
The combination of the Toughbook 40 and the Viasat SSD address the new commitments of militaries for integration. This is especially important for computer systems as allies and partners come together to operate as a single cohesive force.
Compatibility across Nato member forces will only serve to enhance a co-ordinated response to the military aggression of adversaries such as China and Russia.
Combining the Toughbook and the Viasat SSD
The new Toughbook 40 model is custom built for harsh conditions, with military-grade security and communications capabilities to support mission critical operations. The Windows 11 Secured-core PC is equipped with an Intel Core i5-1145G7 vPro processor, 16GB RAM, and a quick release 512GB NVMe OPAL SSD as standard.
With the Nato-approved Viasat self-encrypting secure drives, the Managing Director of Viasat Hisham Awad states: “Viasat’s Eclypt secure data-at-rest technology combines sophisticated authentication, entire-disk encryption and data storage into a tamper-evident internal or portable hardware.
“In the event of device theft, loss, or attack, the solid state drive helps ensure the data is protected and secure once powered off. We look forward to continue bringing forward advanced data-at-rest solutions to help defence users protect their most sensitive data.”
