What are some measures you can take to prevent IPS false positives?

The Check Point "Recommended" IPS profile is a curated set of protections designed by Check Point security experts. Its primary purpose is to provide an optimal balance between strong security and high performance, while significantly minimizing the likelihood of false positives. By activating protections that are well-established and vetted for stability across diverse network environments, this profile serves as a foundational best practice for proactively preventing false positive events from the initial policy configuration.

A. Capture packets, Update the IPS database, and Back up custom IPS files

This option combines a reactive analysis step (packet capture) and a disaster recovery task (backup) with a valid preventative measure (updating), making it an unfocused answer.

C. Use IPS only in Detect mode

Detect mode does not prevent a false positive from occurring. It only changes the enforcement action from blocking traffic (Prevent) to logging the event (Detect), which is a strategy to manage impact, not prevent the misidentification.

D. Exclude problematic services from being protected by IPS (sip, H.323, etc.)

This is a reactive tuning method, not a general preventative strategy. Excluding services is a significant action that reduces security coverage and is typically used to handle a specific, persistent false positive after it has been identified.

1. Check Point R81.20 Threat Prevention Administration Guide, Page 100, "IPS Profiles": "The RecommendedProtection profile is updated periodically by Check Point and provides the best combination of security and performance." This statement endorses the use of the Recommended profile as a best practice for a balanced and stable configuration.

2. Check Point R81.20 Threat Prevention Administration Guide, Page 113, "Handling False Positives": The guide outlines the procedure for handling false positives, which includes creating exceptions. This frames the action in option D as a reactive measure taken after a false positive is suspected, not as a primary preventative step.

3. Check Point R81.20 Threat Prevention Administration Guide, Page 101, "IPS Actions": The guide describes the "Detect" action as logging the traffic without blocking it. This confirms that the detection event (the false positive) still occurs, making option C incorrect as a preventative measure.