What occurs when an IPS mistakenly classifies a malicious attempt as benign?

When an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) mistakenly classifies a malicious attempt as benign, it results in a scenario known as a false negative. This means that the IPS failed to detect a real threat, allowing potential malicious activity to pass through undetected. False negatives are problematic because they create a false sense of security; the system appears to be functioning correctly but is actually allowing threats to infiltrate the network undeterred. Detecting and addressing these types of errors is critical in maintaining effective security measures, as they can lead to significant vulnerabilities and breaches.

In contrast, the other responses refer to different concepts. False positives occur when benign activity is incorrectly classified as a threat, leading to unnecessary alerts and potential disruption of legitimate traffic. Correctly identified events refer to accurately detected security incidents, while protocol discrepancies relate to deviations from expected protocols rather than detection failures.