The Rising Cost of Cyber Insecurity in a Hyper-Mobile World

It never ceases to surprise me how sophisticated cyber criminals have become, and how quickly they continue to evolve. Even the largest organisations, which we assume have the resources and infrastructure to prevent IT incidents, remain prime targets. No business is immune, and when attacks succeed, the operational, financial, and reputational impacts can be severe.

Recent research from Panasonic TOUGHBOOK partner, Absolute Security, highlights the growing cost of inadequate security, particularly for remote and mobile workers. According to its latest Resilience Risk Index Report, the average cost of a ransomware attack has risen to an astonishing $4.5 billion per incident. However, the true impact often extends far beyond immediate financial losses.

When employees are unable to work, productivity stalls. Add to this the reputational damage, erosion of customer trust, and the risk of regulatory or legal penalties, and the consequences can be long-lasting and far-reaching.

To address these challenges, Absolute recommends organisations adopt an “Extreme Resilience” approach - one that combines full visibility of inherent risks with resilient operations, automated remediation, and rapid recovery capabilities for any eventuality.

That said, managing and securing mobile devices is becoming increasingly complex.

As a trusted mobility partner, Panasonic TOUGHBOOK works closely with Absolute Security to deliver built-in, firmware-level protection for both new and legacy devices, that’s purpose-built for hyper-mobile users. Combining rugged durability, advanced security, and seamless remote management together enables organisations to address the most serious cyber threats.

To truly support mobile workers, organisations must consider the following areas when selecting and operating mobile technology.

1. Maintaining Policy Compliance with Reliable Connectivity

From underground infrastructure to remote wind farms, connectivity is often the first challenge IT teams face when supporting hyper-mobile workers. TOUGHBOOK devices are equipped with proprietary antennas, GPS, optional 5G standalone connectivity with eSIM support, and high-speed Ethernet ports. This delivers reliable access to business-critical applications and back-end systems, even in challenging environments.

Partnering with Absolute Security ensures devices remain compliant through a Comply-to-Connect framework that continuously audits device health, automatically blocking access or self-healing clients if security policies (like encryption or AV) fail. 

At the same time,this framework optimises connectivity using a resilient transport protocol that eliminates session drops during network handoffs or signal loss. By combining real-time risk assessment with "always-on" persistence, it ensures users stay productive without bypassing security protocols.

This ensures devices remain connected in the field. IT teams using Absolute Security can enforce policies, deploy updates, and maintain compliance without worrying about devices falling out of date. This directly addresses one of the most critical risks identified in Absolute’s report: prolonged patching cycles that leave endpoints vulnerable.

2. Endpoint Encryption and Device Protection

Running Windows 11 Pro, TOUGHBOOK devices can be configured as Secured Core PCs, delivering robust, hardware, software, and firmware protection. Devices can also be configured with hardware‑based authentication peripherals like smart card readers, fingerprint scanners, and military-grade encryption to safeguard sensitive data.

Absolute Security adds a further layer of protection, including:

• Real-time threat intelligence
• Remote wipe and device disable capabilities
• GPS tracking to locate lost or stolen devices
• Automated compliance enforcement

Together, these capabilities help protect sensitive data, even when devices are lost, stolen, or operating in high-risk environments. 

3. Simplified Updates and Faster Remediation

Always-connected devices enable faster patching, updates, and remediation - reducing the window of opportunity for attackers. This directly addresses one of the most critical risks identified in the report: prolonged patching cycles that leave endpoints vulnerable.

4. AI Readiness

Recent TOUGHBOOK devices are AI-ready and built for performance, featuring the latest Intel^® Core™ Ultra vPro^® processors with integrated Neural Processing Units (NPUs). This dedicated AI chipset enables on-device collection, storage, and analysis of data at the edge, where cloud connections aren’t available. 

This enables field workers to use AI to increase efficiencies, productivity – whilst ensuring they are ready to leverage AI-driven security tools, without being hindered by ageing hardware.

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