The answer is to implement a developers' feedback loop for false positives and tune the tools. This strategy directly addresses the core issue of reducing false positives in CI/CD SAST SCA by creating a continuous improvement cycle where security teams adjust rule sets and suppress known benign findings based on real-world developer input, thereby maintaining full security coverage while cutting report noise. On the CISSP exam, this question tests your grasp of DevSecOps principles and the integration of security into agile workflows without disrupting velocity; a common trap is choosing to reduce scan frequency or scope, which sacrifices coverage for speed. Remember the memory tip: “Tune, don’t prune”—tuning the tools with developer feedback refines detection, while pruning scans or scope weakens security.
CISSP Security Assessment and Testing Practice Question
This CISSP practice question tests your understanding of security assessment and testing. 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 global technology firm has implemented a continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipeline for its flagship software product. The security testing team is tasked with integrating security testing into the pipeline. The team has decided to use a static application security testing (SAST) tool and a software composition analysis (SCA) tool. They are currently running both tools every night against the entire codebase, but the developers complain that the reports are too long and often contain false positives. The team wants to improve the efficiency without sacrificing security coverage. Which of the following is the BEST strategy?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Implement a developers' feedback loop for false positives and tune the tools.
Option B is correct because tuning the SAST and SCA tools based on developer feedback directly addresses the false positive issue while maintaining security coverage. By establishing a feedback loop, the team can adjust rule sets, suppress known false positives, and reduce report noise without reducing scan frequency or scope. This approach aligns with the principle of continuous improvement in DevSecOps, ensuring that security testing remains efficient and actionable.
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.
✗
Decrease the scan frequency to weekly to reduce noise.
Why it's wrong here
Reducing frequency may cause delay in detecting vulnerabilities and does not address false positives.
✓
Implement a developers' feedback loop for false positives and tune the tools.
Why this is correct
Tuning reduces false positives, improving efficiency while maintaining comprehensive scanning.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Replace SAST with dynamic application security testing (DAST) for more accurate results.
Why it's wrong here
DAST tests running applications and does not replace SAST's ability to find vulnerabilities in code.
✗
Run SAST and SCA only on new code changes committed to the main branch.
Why it's wrong here
This may miss vulnerabilities in legacy code, reducing overall security coverage.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may choose Option D (scan only new code) because it seems efficient, but they overlook the need for continuous scanning of the entire codebase to catch regressions and vulnerabilities in unchanged code, which is a core requirement for maintaining security coverage in CI/CD pipelines.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SAST tools analyze source code without executing it, using pattern matching and data flow analysis to detect vulnerabilities like SQL injection or buffer overflows, while SCA tools scan for known vulnerabilities in third-party libraries by comparing dependency versions against databases like the National Vulnerability Database (NVD). False positives in SAST often arise from overly broad rules or lack of context (e.g., sanitization routines not recognized), and tuning involves customizing rules, adding exceptions, or using baseline suppression files. In a CI/CD pipeline, integrating these tools as pre-commit hooks or in parallel with build stages can provide faster feedback, but nightly scans of the full codebase are common for comprehensive coverage; the key is to reduce noise through iterative refinement rather than reducing scan scope.
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 security team runs a vulnerability scan on a web application and discovers an unpatched SQL injection flaw. The team prioritises remediation by CVSS score — critical flaws are patched within 24 hours, high within 7 days. Questions like this test whether you understand vulnerability management processes, scanning tools, and remediation prioritisation.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CISSP question in full detail.
Security Assessment and Testing — This question tests Security Assessment and Testing — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Implement a developers' feedback loop for false positives and tune the tools. — Option B is correct because tuning the SAST and SCA tools based on developer feedback directly addresses the false positive issue while maintaining security coverage. By establishing a feedback loop, the team can adjust rule sets, suppress known false positives, and reduce report noise without reducing scan frequency or scope. This approach aligns with the principle of continuous improvement in DevSecOps, ensuring that security testing remains efficient and actionable.
What should I do if I get this CISSP 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: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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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