Few security services have the intent and capability to replicate Israel's unprecedented attacks against Hezbollah's electronics, but many will find new ways to physically tamper with devices for mass surveillance by exploiting the complexity of global supply chains, especially after devices' final assembly and with the help of insiders. On Sept. 17-18, Israel carried out a series of coordinated attacks targeting Hezbollah members in Lebanon and Syria, killing nearly 40 people and injuring over 3,000 others. Many details of the operation are still unclear, but a wide variety of media reporting indicates Israeli spies set up front companies to produce pagers and two-way radios containing a small amount of explosive material and a remote activation capability; these were then shipped to Hezbollah under the guise of legitimate products from reputable manufacturers. Israel allegedly began shipping the tampered devices in mid-2022, but sped up the deliveries in early 2024 after Hezbollah...
