hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
SSCP Practice Question: A company uses a SIEM to monitor security events
A company uses a SIEM to monitor security events. Recently, they are experiencing false positives from a new IDS rule. Which approach would best reduce false positives while maintaining detection?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers choose to whitelist false positive sources (Option C) because it seems like a quick fix, but this approach can inadvertently suppress alerts for real attacks from those same sources, whereas threshold tuning preserves detection capability.
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
✓
Adjust the rule threshold.
Adjusting the rule threshold (Option D) is the best approach because it fine-tunes the sensitivity of the IDS rule to reduce false positives without completely disabling detection. By raising the threshold (e.g., increasing the number of matching packets or the time window), the SIEM will only generate an alert when the rule's criteria are met more persistently, filtering out noise while still capturing genuine threats. This maintains the rule's detection capability for actual attacks that exceed the adjusted threshold.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Disable the rule.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling eliminates false positives but also stops detecting the true positive events the rule was designed for.
- ✗
Increase the log review frequency.
Why it's wrong here
More frequent reviews do not reduce false positive volume; they only change review cadence.
- ✗
Whitelist false positive sources.
Why it's wrong here
Whitelisting may suppress alerts from certain sources, but could also allow real attacks from those sources.
- ✓
Adjust the rule threshold.
Why this is correct
Fine-tuning the threshold balances false positive reduction with detection capability.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SSCP 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 SSCP exam.