What term describes a false alarm in a security context?

The term that describes a false alarm in a security context is a false positive. This refers to a situation where a security system mistakenly identifies a non-threat as a threat. For example, an intrusion detection system might trigger an alert based on benign activity that it wrongly interprets as malicious behavior. This can lead to unnecessary investigations or responses, consuming valuable resources and potentially creating confusion.

Understanding false positives is critical for developing effective security protocols, as they can undermine trust in security systems and divert attention from actual threats. Reducing the occurrence of false positives is an important aspect of fine-tuning security technologies to ensure that alerts are reliable and actionable.