Thousands of "pager" devices exploded in the hands of Hezbollah members, experts say: May have been previously manipulated

The exact cause of the pager device explosions in Lebanon has yet to be confirmed, and news is emerging every minute. So far, experts who spoke to CNN said the explosions were most likely caused by hardware manipulation rather than another theory of a cybersecurity breach causing lithium battery heat and explosion, but neither has been confirmed by authorities.

In short, your communication device is not at risk of exploding unless it is pre-rigged and pre-emblazoned with explosives, experts who spoke to CNN said.

"Pagers" are wireless devices that can send messages without an internet connection. Although they have lost popularity to mobile phones, some areas like healthcare still depend on them.

Justin Cappos, a cybersecurity professor at NYU, said it's possible to cause damage to a range of batteries, most often lithium batteries, which have caused dangerous fires. But he said it looks like "the devices were deliberately designed to explode when activated, and not ones used by the rest of the world."

"If you're an ordinary person with a lithium-ion battery, I wouldn't worry too much about it," Cappos said.

Baptiste Robert, a cybersecurity researcher and CEO of Predicta Lab, said that instead of being hacked, the "pagers" were likely modified before shipping. He said the scale of the explosion appears to indicate it is a coordinated and sophisticated attack.

When it comes to battery safety, the National Fire Protection Association has a set of safety guidelines for lithium batteries, such as proper disposal. The association also said people should stop using devices with lithium-ion batteries if the battery shows any signs of damage due to the risk of fire or explosion.

It is unclear what kind of battery the pagers in question had. A Lebanese security source told CNN that Hezbollah had recently purchased the equipment.

The blasts left at least nine dead and more than 3,000 injured.