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Computer Security Resource Center

Computer Security Resource Center

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False Positive

Abbreviation(s) and Synonym(s):

None

Definition(s):

  An alert that incorrectly indicates that a vulnerability is present.
Source(s):
NIST SP 800-115

  An alert that incorrectly indicates that malicious activity is occurring.
Source(s):
NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 2

  An instance in which a security tool incorrectly classifies benign content as malicious.
Source(s):
NIST SP 800-83 Rev. 1

  Incorrectly classifying benign activity as malicious.
Source(s):
NIST SP 800-86

  An erroneous acceptance of the hypothesis that a statistically significant event has been observed. This is also referred to as a type 1 error. When “health-testing” the components of a device, it often refers to a declaration that a component has malfunctioned – based on some statistical test(s) – despite the fact that the component was actually working correctly.
Source(s):
NIST SP 800-90B under False positive