mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
ISC2 CC Practice Question: A company has implemented a security information…
A company has implemented a security information and event management (SIEM) system. The SOC team notices that the SIEM is generating a high volume of false positive alerts from a specific web application firewall (WAF). The WAF logs show many requests with SQL injection patterns, but the application is not vulnerable. Which of the following actions would BEST reduce false positives without compromising security?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the misconception that suppressing alerts or disabling detection is acceptable, but the correct approach is to tune detection rules to balance security and operational efficiency.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Tune the WAF's detection rules based on the application's normal traffic profile
Tuning the WAF's detection rules to match the application's normal traffic profile reduces false positives by filtering out benign requests that resemble SQL injection patterns. This approach maintains security by still detecting actual attacks, unlike simply suppressing alerts or disabling detection. The SIEM should correlate WAF alerts with application context, but the root cause is the WAF's overly broad rules, which need refinement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Create a SIEM rule to suppress alerts from that WAF
Why it's wrong here
Suppression hides the issue and could mask real threats.
- ✗
Increase the alert threshold in the WAF to reduce sensitivity
Why it's wrong here
This could cause legitimate attacks to be missed.
- ✓
Tune the WAF's detection rules based on the application's normal traffic profile
Why this is correct
Tuning reduces false positives by filtering out benign patterns that resemble attacks.
- ✗
Disable SQL injection detection in the WAF for that application
Why it's wrong here
This removes protection against SQL injection attacks.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to Security Principles
Key term
False positive
A false positive is an alert or result that indicates a security threat or vulnerability exists when in fact there is no real issue.
Key term
SQL injection
SQL injection is a web security vulnerability that allows an attacker to interfere with the queries an application makes to its database, often to read, modify, or destroy data.
About these practice questions
One of 976 original CC practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CC practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CC exam.