The answer is to add the affected servers to a network analysis policy exception. This configuration change directly addresses the need to reduce SSL inspection false positives in Cisco Firepower by exempting specific, trusted hosts from deep packet inspection while still allowing SSL decryption and other security checks to run. The network analysis policy (NAP) controls how traffic is decoded and preprocessed before reaching the intrusion policy; by creating an exception for legitimate servers, you bypass the intrusion inspection that was incorrectly flagging their encrypted traffic, without disabling SSL inspection entirely. On the Cisco CyberOps Associate 200-201 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how Firepower’s layered inspection policies interact—a common trap is choosing to disable SSL inspection or lower the intrusion policy severity, which would weaken security. Remember the mnemonic: NAP Exceptions = No Alarms for Proven hosts, keeping decryption active while silencing false positives.
200-201 Security Monitoring Practice Question
This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of security monitoring. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 security analyst is reviewing logs from a Cisco Firepower Management Center and notices that many legitimate SSL connections are being blocked by the intrusion policy. Which configuration change should the analyst make to reduce false positives without compromising security?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Add the affected servers to a network analysis policy exception.
Adding the affected servers to a network analysis policy (NAP) exception allows the Firepower system to bypass intrusion inspection for traffic to and from those specific hosts while still performing SSL decryption and other security checks. This reduces false positives from legitimate SSL connections without completely disabling SSL inspection or weakening the overall security posture.
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.
✗
Increase the severity threshold for SSL-related rules.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing severity threshold may not be possible or effective in reducing false positives.
✓
Add the affected servers to a network analysis policy exception.
Why this is correct
This allows specific traffic to bypass inspection while keeping security for others.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Change the intrusion policy to "Connectivity Over Security".
Why it's wrong here
This is a less secure profile that allows more traffic but reduces overall security.
✗
Disable SSL inspection globally.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling globally removes protection for all SSL traffic, compromising security.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between modifying intrusion policy rules versus using network analysis policy exceptions, tempting candidates to choose a global or severity-based change instead of the targeted exception that preserves security for other traffic.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The network analysis policy (NAP) in Cisco Firepower handles preprocessing and protocol decoding before the intrusion policy inspects traffic. By creating a NAP exception for specific IP addresses, the system skips reassembly and inspection for those hosts, which is useful for trusted internal servers or known legitimate services that generate high volumes of benign encrypted traffic. This approach maintains SSL decryption for other hosts and preserves the ability to detect threats in encrypted flows.
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 practitioner preparing for the 200-201 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
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.
Security Monitoring — This question tests Security Monitoring — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Add the affected servers to a network analysis policy exception. — Adding the affected servers to a network analysis policy (NAP) exception allows the Firepower system to bypass intrusion inspection for traffic to and from those specific hosts while still performing SSL decryption and other security checks. This reduces false positives from legitimate SSL connections without completely disabling SSL inspection or weakening the overall security posture.
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.
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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