The safety of consumer electronics, especially smartphones, has come under scrutiny recently due to an attack involving bursting pagers that resulted in thousands of injuries and over 12 fatalities in Lebanon. Israel, which declined to comment on the incident, was held accountable by Hezbollah and the Lebanese government. Thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah members rang and exploded, appearing to be set up for remote detonation, triggering the attack.
Some have questioned whether consumer electronics like cellphones could also be the target of this innovative attack. Experts have provided a reassuringly succinct response: there is no evidence to suggest that cellphones or other common consumer gadgets are in danger. Even if the attack raises the possibility of new forms of warfare, it is still quite improbable that smartphones will be widely targeted.
Security experts believe the pagers were tampered with by embedding explosives inside, which were then remotely triggered through the devices’ communication networks. However, the specifics of how this was done remain unclear.
“The average person doesn’t need to worry about potential risks like plastic explosives from a supply chain attack aimed at a specific group of people. While such events are unsettling, there is no known threat to everyday people,” says Daniel Card, a fellow of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, according to the Independent. He further emphasized that average consumers have little reason to worry. “Mobile phones and electronic devices are generally very safe. The likelihood of explosives being used in them is exceedingly rare, and this would likely only affect specific individuals targeted by nation-states or terrorist groups.”
Unlike the large, older pagers used in the attack, modern smartphones are meticulously designed with little spare space for tampering. Even smaller devices, like earbuds, would visibly show signs of tampering, making this kind of attack nearly impossible to replicate on a mass scale.
While no device is completely invulnerable, companies like Apple are continuously improving security features. For example, Apple’s “Lockdown Mode” further safeguards high-risk individuals, like activists or lawyers, from cyberattacks. Ultimately, while vigilance is always wise, smartphones remain safe for everyday use.
