The answer is implementing a whitelist of known good SQL queries from the application, as this directly addresses IPS rule tuning false positives by allowing the sensor to ignore benign traffic that contains SQL-like keywords while still triggering on any deviation. This approach is most effective because it leverages application-specific knowledge to distinguish legitimate database interactions from actual SQL injection attempts, reducing noise without sacrificing detection coverage. On the Cisco CyberOps Associate 200-201 exam, this concept tests your understanding of signature tuning and false positive management—a common trap is choosing to simply lower the rule severity or disable the rule, which would miss real attacks. Remember the memory tip: whitelist the good, alert on the bad; if the query is known, let it go, if it’s unknown, let it show.
200-201 Security Monitoring Practice Question
This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of security monitoring. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 SOC analyst is tuning an IPS rule that detects SQL injection attempts. The rule currently generates a high number of alerts, most of which are false positives caused by legitimate web application traffic containing SQL-like keywords. The analyst wants to reduce false positives without missing actual attacks. Which approach is most effective?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Implement a whitelist of known good SQL queries from the application.
Option A is correct because implementing a whitelist of known good SQL queries from the application allows the IPS to ignore benign traffic that matches SQL-like patterns, reducing false positives while still alerting on any SQL injection attempt that deviates from the whitelist. This approach leverages application-specific knowledge to distinguish legitimate queries from malicious ones, maintaining detection coverage for actual attacks.
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.
✓
Implement a whitelist of known good SQL queries from the application.
Why this is correct
Whitelisting legitimate queries reduces false positives while keeping detection for other traffic.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Reduce the rule's sensitivity to only match exact attack patterns.
Why it's wrong here
Exact matching may miss obfuscated or novel attacks.
✗
Disable the rule and rely on web application firewall logs.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling the rule removes a layer of detection.
✗
Exclude all HTTP GET requests from inspection.
Why it's wrong here
GET requests can contain SQL injection payloads.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think reducing sensitivity (Option B) is the best way to reduce false positives, but Cisco tests the understanding that whitelisting is a more precise method that preserves detection of varied attack patterns while eliminating noise from known benign traffic.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, an IPS rule for SQL injection typically uses signature-based detection with regular expressions to match patterns like 'OR 1=1' or 'UNION SELECT'. A whitelist approach can be implemented via a custom preprocessor or rule override that compares the normalized SQL query against a list of known benign queries; any query not in the whitelist triggers an alert. In real-world scenarios, web applications often generate dynamic SQL with user input that includes SQL keywords (e.g., a search feature for 'O'Brien'), so a whitelist must be carefully maintained to avoid blocking legitimate traffic while still catching injection attempts that use unexpected syntax.
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.
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: Implement a whitelist of known good SQL queries from the application. — Option A is correct because implementing a whitelist of known good SQL queries from the application allows the IPS to ignore benign traffic that matches SQL-like patterns, reducing false positives while still alerting on any SQL injection attempt that deviates from the whitelist. This approach leverages application-specific knowledge to distinguish legitimate queries from malicious ones, maintaining detection coverage for actual attacks.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
This 200-201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-201 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.