[kakacik]

Lowers the percieved incompetence on hacked side, and its hard to argue against (how do you prove it wasnt?). Stock price fall distaster mitigation via simple PR.

But I agree experts should know better when of any solid proof is lacking. Or any proof at all.

[zamadatix]

What I'm saying is they often actually mean "country", but that is less fancy sounding. A nation-state is just one specific type of polity, certainly not the only type which organize attacks.

[dandelany]

You’re overthinking it. “Country” is simply more ambiguous when used as an adjective. “F5 announces attack from country hackers” sounds silly and confusing.

[zamadatix]

"F5 announces hack by foreign country" (or the infinite variations of) is less silly than "F5 announces attack from nation-state hackers", you're just used to hearing the latter repeated every incident. Anyone can intentionally use a phrase poorly, pointing out a silly sounding phrasing exists adds nothing.

Not that "F5 announces attack by state sponsored hackers", "F5 announces attack by nation-state backed hackers", or "F5 announces attack from nationally backed hackers" have to be invalid, particularly since the latter is often what is actually most specifically correct anyways.

[lan321]

yeehaw brother