- A
Add a threshold of 5 failed logins within 5 minutes
This reduces noise and still catches brute force.
- B
Disable the rule entirely
Why wrong: This would miss brute-force attacks.
- C
Increase the severity level of the alert
Why wrong: Severity does not reduce false positives.
- D
Ignore failed logins from known users
Why wrong: Known users can also have compromised accounts.
Question 690 of 1,000
SSCP Risk Identification, Monitoring, and Analysis Practice Question
This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of risk identification, monitoring, and analysis. 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 security analyst is tuning a SIEM and needs to reduce false positives from a rule that alerts on failed logins. The rule currently triggers on any single failed login. Which modification would best reduce false positives while still detecting brute-force attacks?
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
✓
Add a threshold of 5 failed logins within 5 minutes
Option A is correct because adding a threshold of 5 failed logins within 5 minutes reduces false positives from isolated accidental lockouts while still detecting the sustained pattern of failed attempts characteristic of brute-force attacks. This aligns with SIEM tuning best practices where aggregation over a time window filters out noise without losing signal.
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.
- ✓
Add a threshold of 5 failed logins within 5 minutes
Why this is correct
This reduces noise and still catches brute force.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Disable the rule entirely
Why it's wrong here
This would miss brute-force attacks.
- ✗
Increase the severity level of the alert
Why it's wrong here
Severity does not reduce false positives.
- ✗
Ignore failed logins from known users
Why it's wrong here
Known users can also have compromised accounts.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that increasing severity or ignoring specific users reduces false positives, when in fact only time-based thresholding or contextual filtering (e.g., source IP reputation) properly addresses the root cause of noise from isolated events.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, SIEM correlation engines use sliding time windows (e.g., 5-minute buckets) and event counting to implement threshold-based rules; this leverages the fact that brute-force tools typically send rapid login attempts (often >1 per second) while human errors are sporadic. In real-world scenarios, a single failed login from a VPN client due to a mistyped password is common, but 5 failures in 5 minutes from the same source IP strongly indicates automated guessing, making this threshold effective.
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 analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SSCP question test?
Risk Identification, Monitoring, and Analysis — This question tests Risk Identification, Monitoring, and Analysis — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Add a threshold of 5 failed logins within 5 minutes — Option A is correct because adding a threshold of 5 failed logins within 5 minutes reduces false positives from isolated accidental lockouts while still detecting the sustained pattern of failed attempts characteristic of brute-force attacks. This aligns with SIEM tuning best practices where aggregation over a time window filters out noise without losing signal.
What should I do if I get this SSCP 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
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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