Despite the ambiguity surrounding the Lebanon pager system intrusion, there are several facts known regarding our personal digital gadgets.
The ongoing situation continues to unfold with the cause of the explosions yet to be officially confirmed. As per expert analyses shared with CNN, the explosions are believed to be initiated by device tampering instead of a possibility that a cybersecurity breach may have caused lithium batteries to overheat and explode. However, neither theory has been endorsed by authorities.
In simpler terms, your communication gadget is safe from any explosion unless it's physically tampered with and rigged with explosives, according to expert opinions shared with CNN.
These explosions have occurred during a prolonged period of tit-for-tat actions between Israel and Hezbollah, following the Israel-HamAS conflict. The Israeli Defense Forces have remained silent, while Hezbollah and the Lebanese government have pointed fingers at Israel.
Pagers, wireless devices that transmit messages without internet connectivity, have seen a decline in popularity but are still crucial in sectors such as healthcare.
Justin Cappos, a cybersecurity professor at NYU, mentioned that while it's theoretically possible to harm a variety of batteries, including lithium ones, which have been known to ignite, the devices in question seem to have been intentionally designed to detonate upon activation, not a typical pager.
Cappos urged picking concerns about lithium-ion batteries but advised against unnecessary anxiety.
Baptiste Robert, CEO of Predicta Lab and a cybersecurity researcher, however, proposed a different perspective, stating that instead of being hacked, the pagers might have been altered before delivery.
Robert pointed out the scale of the explosion, implying the likely occurrence of a coordinated and advanced attack.
Michael Horowitz, head of intelligence at Le Beck International, also agreed with the assumption that the devices had been altered rather than being targeted by a cyber-attack.
Horowitz suggested that this attack might indicate a high infiltration level in Hezbollah's supply chain for such devices.
Regarding battery safety, the National Fire Protection Association has guidelines for handling lithium batteries, such as proper disposal. The association advises users to stop using devices with lithium-ion batteries if they exhibit any signs of damage, as such circumstances pose a fire or explosion risk.
Notably, Samsung had issued a global recall for the Galaxy Note 7 in 2016, citing battery-related issues that triggered fires and, in some instances, explosions. While media reports were numerous, they did not exceed thousands and were not simultaneous.
In 2016, approximately 500,000 hoverboards were also recalled due to fire and explosion hazards, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The specific type of battery used in the pagers remains unknown. A Lebanese security source reported that Hezbollah had recently purchased the devices.
This report was contributed by CNN's Christian Edwards, Adrienne Vogt, and Aditi Sangal.
Businesses in the healthcare sector should continue to rely on pagers for critical communications, as expert analyses suggest that the explosions were not due to battery issues or cyber-attacks, but rather intentional device tampering. The ongoing situation between Israel and Hezbollah highlights the importance of secure supply chains in businesses, particularly for electronic devices.
