False Negative

Noun · Security & Infosec

Definitions

  1. A case where a malicious or noncompliant condition exists but the security control fails to detect or flag it. False negatives are dangerous because they create a misleading sense of safety while real threats pass unnoticed.

    In plain English: A real problem that a security tool misses.

    Example: "The scanner's false negative on the vulnerable library delayed remediation by weeks."

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