- A
Increase the severity of all alerts to high
Why wrong: This would not reduce false positives; it would desensitize analysts.
- B
Modify correlation rules to require multiple events before alerting
Requiring multiple events reduces single-event false positives and improves signal-to-noise ratio.
- C
Disable all anomaly-based detection rules
Why wrong: This would eliminate anomaly detection, potentially missing novel threats.
- D
Create a whitelist for known benign IP addresses
Why wrong: Whitelisting reduces noise but may miss threats from whitelisted IPs if compromised.
Question 708 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 to reduce false positives. Which of the following actions is most likely to reduce false positives while maintaining detection of real threats?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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
✓
Modify correlation rules to require multiple events before alerting
Modifying correlation rules to require multiple events before alerting reduces false positives by ensuring that a single benign event does not trigger an alert. This technique, often called 'thresholding' or 'event correlation,' filters out noise while still detecting multi-step attack patterns, such as a brute-force login attempt that requires multiple failed logins within a time window.
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.
- ✗
Increase the severity of all alerts to high
Why it's wrong here
This would not reduce false positives; it would desensitize analysts.
- ✓
Modify correlation rules to require multiple events before alerting
Why this is correct
Requiring multiple events reduces single-event false positives and improves signal-to-noise ratio.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Disable all anomaly-based detection rules
Why it's wrong here
This would eliminate anomaly detection, potentially missing novel threats.
- ✗
Create a whitelist for known benign IP addresses
Why it's wrong here
Whitelisting reduces noise but may miss threats from whitelisted IPs if compromised.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'reducing false positives' with 'eliminating all alerts,' leading them to choose disabling detection rules (Option C) or whitelisting (Option D), rather than understanding that correlation tuning preserves detection capability while filtering noise.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In SIEM correlation engines, rules can be configured with 'aggregation' or 'suppression' conditions, such as requiring 5 failed login events from the same source within 10 minutes before generating an alert. This leverages the 'event frequency' and 'time window' parameters to distinguish between accidental mistypes (false positives) and coordinated brute-force attacks (true positives). Real-world implementations often use the 'rule-based correlation' feature in tools like Splunk or QRadar, where 'base events' are counted against a threshold before the 'trigger event' fires the alert.
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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Risk Identification, Monitoring, and Analysis — study guide chapter
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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: Modify correlation rules to require multiple events before alerting — Modifying correlation rules to require multiple events before alerting reduces false positives by ensuring that a single benign event does not trigger an alert. This technique, often called 'thresholding' or 'event correlation,' filters out noise while still detecting multi-step attack patterns, such as a brute-force login attempt that requires multiple failed logins within a time window.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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 →
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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