Konstantin Korsun, a cybersecurity expert, commented on the possibility of repeating the operation to blow up pagers, similar to the one that occurred against Hezbollah militants in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
According to him, the incident with the massive bombing of pagers will be a historic event, as it combines intelligence and technical capabilities. Although it is known that the devices can be controlled remotely, for example by overheating the battery, carrying out such a large-scale explosion at the same time set a precedent.
Korsun stressed that Hezbollah deliberately abandoned sophisticated technologies such as mobile phones or laptops in favor of pagers that do not allow determining the subscriber’s location. However, this decision did not protect militants from the threat, since the introduction of explosives into the devices could be associated with the hiring of workers at the stage of production or transportation of pagers. He suggested that for detonation, not only overheating of the battery was probably used, but also micro-detonators, which indicates a high level of covert work.
Although Korsun noted that this operation could not be considered a classic cyberattack, it did include cyber elements. In particular, it could involve intercepting data on Hezbollah’s intentions to purchase devices via electronic or telephone communications. He also added that pagers transmit encrypted messages, the decryption of which requires specialized technology, of which Israel has a high level.
Korsun also drew attention to the importance of the paging software and its system through which the operator transmits messages. All this infrastructure involves computers and servers, which makes it vulnerable to cyberattacks.
As for the possibility of repeating such an operation against the Russian Armed Forces, Korsun expressed doubts. He explained that the Russians are better prepared for cyber threats and are localizing the production of their communications equipment, which makes it difficult to implant explosives in their devices. In addition, many components are produced in different factories in different regions, which complicates the mass replacement of equipment.
Korsun also noted that Russia closely monitors devices, especially those used by command personnel, and frequently changes them. He concluded that while such an operation is theoretically possible, in practice its implementation in Russia is much more difficult. The expert stressed that the Ukrainian intelligence services have not yet reached the level of the Mossad, but there are still prospects for development in this direction.
Earlier, Kursor reported on Bulgaria’s involvement in the bombing of pagers, the media reported.
Bulgaria to investigate company associated with Hezbollah pagers that exploded in Lebanon
