The recent series of coordinated explosions in Lebanon, which have been attributed to Israel, serve as a grim reminder of the dangers posed by state-sponsored aggression and the weaponization of civilian technology.

With over 32 people killed and more than 3,100 injured, the attacks involved the detonation of thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies, tools of communication that were transformed into instruments of death. This tragic event raises alarm bells regarding not only the security of supply chains but also the geopolitical implications of such actions, especially when perpetrated by states with a history of violating international norms.

The attacks underscore the vulnerability of global supply chains and the disturbing reality that everyday devices, such as pagers and walkie-talkies, can be transformed into weapons with devastating consequences. This unprecedented use of electronic devices for mass casualties calls into question the integrity of technology products across the globe. Tech companies are now forced to reckon with the critical need to safeguard their supply chains against tampering by hostile actors. As James Grimmelmann, a professor of digital and information law, pointed out, “Every company that makes or sells physical devices will be worrying about the integrity of their supply chain.”

While Israel has been implicated in past assassinations using tampered devices — such as the 1996 assassination of Hamas bombmaker Yahya Ayyash via a rigged mobile phone — the scale of the recent attacks in Lebanon is unprecedented. Thousands of devices detonated almost simultaneously, marking a new level........

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