Palo Alto Networks (PANW) Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician (PCCET) Practice Exam

An analysis tool raised an alert, but the security analyst who researched it discovered it wasn't a problem. Which type of finding is this?

1. false positive

2. true positive

3. false negative

4. true negative

The correct answer is: false positive

The situation described indicates a scenario in which an alert was generated by an analysis tool, suggesting a security issue. However, upon further investigation by the security analyst, it was determined that there was no actual problem present. This scenario is classified as a false positive. A false positive occurs when a security monitoring or analysis system incorrectly identifies a benign situation as a threat. In this case, the tool's alert led to a conclusion that a problem existed, but the reality was that there was none. This highlights a common challenge in cybersecurity, where tools can produce alerts that are misleading, prompting unnecessary investigation and potentially wasting valuable analyst time. In contrast, the other classifications would not fit this context. A true positive would mean an actual threat was correctly identified, a false negative would indicate a real issue was overlooked or not detected, and a true negative indicates a situation that correctly wasn't flagged as a threat. Therefore, recognizing this scenario as a false positive is critical in understanding the dynamics of cybersecurity alerts and improving the accuracy of threat detection systems.