What does a false positive indicate in cybersecurity?

A false positive in cybersecurity occurs when a system incorrectly identifies legitimate activity as malicious. This means that an event or behavior that is actually safe is flagged by security tools or monitoring systems as a threat. This can lead to unnecessary alerts, wasted resources, and potentially significant disruptions, as IT staff may have to investigate and respond to these false alarms instead of focusing on genuine threats.

In the context of cybersecurity, it’s crucial to strike a balance between sensitivity in detection and accuracy. If a system generates too many false positives, it may lead to "alert fatigue," where security teams start to overlook or undervalue warnings, potentially leaving them vulnerable to real attacks.

The other options do not reflect the meaning of a false positive. Identifying malicious activity correctly indicates a true positive, while ignoring actual malicious activity corresponds to a false negative. Recognizing legitimate traffic as legitimate would also result in an accurate identification, not a false positive.