Shafaq News/ The explosion of thousands of pager devices and hundreds ofICOM V82 devices across several regions in Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday,killing 21 people and injuring more than 3,000 others has ignited concernsabout the potential for similar incidents involving mobile phones in Iraq.Cybersecurity experts are urging immediate measures to defend against suchattacks.
Cyber-Attacks: New Warfare Strategy
Cyber-attacks have emerged as a modern weapon for global powers,shifting away from traditional military tactics involving tanks, planes,artillery, and ground assaults. Instead, these nations are increasingly relyingon advanced technologies.
Political analyst Abbas al-Jubouri told Shafaq News that the recentexplosion in Lebanon was a clear example of these technological advances.
"In Iraq, with the presence of resistance factions, the risk existsbut is at a lower level compared to Lebanon. The resistance factions possessthe expertise to avoid such cyber intrusions," he explained.
Al-Jubouri also stressed that the incident in Lebanon should act as a“wake-up call” for resistance groups to take precautions, minimizecommunication, and adopt more secure methods with deeper encryption to preventsimilar attacks.
Electronic Warfare Intensifies in the Region
Security expert Mukhled al-Darb noted that electronic warfare has beenongoing since October 7, targeting key leadership figures across Lebanon, Syria,and Iraq. "All targeted individuals from the personal target list werestruck through this warfare," al-Darb told Shafaq News. He described therecent incident in Lebanon as a "qualitative development, where radiosignals were broadcast to target devices, posing a new threat to the Axis ofResistance. As a result, resistance groups will likely seek alternativecommunication methods.”
Al-Darb further explained that Israeli intelligence often conductspreemptive and strategic operations against resistance factions. "Israeluses specialized aircraft for surveillance, tracking, and signalinterception—advanced technologies that the Axis lacks. This forces them toadopt heightened precautions for future operations," he added.
Modern Warfare Necessitates Cybersecurity Measures
Security expert Sarmad al-Bayati stressed that the global shift fromtraditional warfare is becoming increasingly apparent. "What happened inLebanon serves as a lesson for everyone on the importance of understanding andpreparing for modern warfare," al-Bayati told Shafaq News.
He underscored the need for cybersecurity divisions to be establishedacross all ministries, agencies, and directorates, particularly within Iraq'ssecurity apparatus. "Network hacking is a specialized field, and theincident in Lebanon is the most dangerous example of its potential impact.There are growing concerns that something similar could happen with mobilephones, which are all foreign-made," he warned, calling for urgentfortification against such threats.
Potential Cyber-Attack Behind Pager Explosions
Cybersecurity expert Mustafa al-Moussawi suggested that the explosion ofpager devices in Lebanon could have been triggered by a cyber-attack."It’s possible that the charging systems inside the devices weremanipulated, causing the batteries to overheat and explode," al-Moussawiexplained to Shafaq News.
He also noted other potential causes, such as frequency manipulation orthe planting of a virus that led to destructive activity. "These devicesare connected to a central unit, which may have been hacked, issuing commandsfor the devices to explode, or there may have been explosives plantedinside," he added.
Al-Moussawi stressed that "all phones and wireless devices withbatteries are vulnerable to such attacks, highlighting the critical need forincreased cybersecurity awareness and defenses.”