The answer is a signature false positive, which is the most likely cause when an IPS blocks legitimate traffic. This occurs because signature-based detection relies on pattern matching, and benign web traffic containing SQL-like keywords such as SELECT, DROP, or UNION can inadvertently trigger the SQL injection signature, causing the IPS to drop valid packets without contextual analysis. On the Cisco CyberOps Associate 200-201 exam, this concept tests your understanding of false positive vs. false negative trade-offs in intrusion detection, often appearing in scenario-based questions where you must distinguish between signature tuning issues and actual threats. A common trap is confusing a false positive with a false negative—remember that a false positive is a “cry wolf” error where safe traffic is blocked, while a false negative misses real attacks. To recall this, think of the mnemonic “FP = False Positive = Friendly Packet punished.”
200-201 Network Intrusion Analysis Practice Question
This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of network intrusion analysis. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A network administrator configures an IPS to drop packets that match a signature for SQL injection. However, legitimate web traffic is being blocked. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Signature false positive
Option C is correct because a false positive occurs when the IPS incorrectly identifies legitimate traffic as malicious based on its signature. In this case, the SQL injection signature is matching benign web requests that contain patterns resembling SQL syntax (e.g., 'SELECT', 'DROP'), causing the IPS to drop valid packets. This is a common issue with signature-based detection systems that lack contextual analysis.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
IPS hardware failure
Why it's wrong here
Hardware failure would likely cause device fault, not consistent blocking of traffic.
✗
Network congestion
Why it's wrong here
Congestion issues are unrelated to IPS signature matching.
✓
Signature false positive
Why this is correct
The signature incorrectly matches legitimate SQL-like patterns in normal traffic.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Signature false negative
Why it's wrong here
False negative means the signature misses actual attacks, not blocks valid traffic.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between false positives and false negatives, and the trap here is that candidates may confuse 'blocking legitimate traffic' with a false negative, not realizing that a false positive is the correct term for incorrectly flagged benign traffic.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Signature-based IPS systems rely on pattern matching against known attack vectors, often using regular expressions or protocol decoders. For SQL injection, signatures may match common SQL keywords (e.g., 'OR 1=1', 'UNION') even in benign contexts like search queries or form data. Tuning thresholds, using protocol-aware inspection, or implementing anomaly-based detection can reduce false positives, but over-blocking remains a risk in high-sensitivity deployments.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Network Intrusion Analysis — This question tests Network Intrusion Analysis — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Signature false positive — Option C is correct because a false positive occurs when the IPS incorrectly identifies legitimate traffic as malicious based on its signature. In this case, the SQL injection signature is matching benign web requests that contain patterns resembling SQL syntax (e.g., 'SELECT', 'DROP'), causing the IPS to drop valid packets. This is a common issue with signature-based detection systems that lack contextual analysis.
What should I do if I get this 200-201 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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