答复: What is false alarm rate and false positive rate?

From: Helios Xu (xu_hui_at_pku.edu.cn)
Date: 09/21/04

  • Next message: George Capehart: "Re: What is false alarm rate and false positive rate?"
    Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 22:06:39 +0800
    To: focus-ids@securityfocus.com
    
    

    Hi,

    There is a problem here. In your mail, False negative rate is the total
    number of false negatives divided by total number of alarms. I don't think
    this rate means something. False positive rate is a criterion of the quality
    of the alarm set of an IDS. But what does this false negative rate mean?

    If we want to know the rate of missed detection of an IDS, we should let the
    total number of false negatives be divided by the total number of real
    attacks.

    Helios

    -----邮件原件-----
    发件人: Gautam Singaraju [mailto:gautam.singaraju@gmail.com]
    发送时间: 2004年9月18日 7:42
    收件人: Zhuowei Li
    抄送: Rob Shein; focus-ids@securityfocus.com
    主题: Re: What is false alarm rate and false positive rate?

    Hi,
    This is what I think about the difference between them...

    False Positive: Is the intrusion detected when there is no intrusion.
    False Negative: is the intrusion not detected when there is an intrusion.

    False Alarm: is the total of the false positives and false negatives.

    In a typical deployment of Intrusion Detection System, it is difficult
    to find the number of false negatives. This means that some consider
    to ignore these and consider False Alarm = False Positives.

    A rate hence would be a total number of false
    positives/negatives/alarms divided by total number of alarms both true
    and false.

    Hence for testing an IDS, False Alarm Rate = False Positive Rate+
    False Negative Rate.
    And for an industry installation, False Alarm Rate = False Positive Rate.

    On Fri, 17 Sep 2004 09:21:39 +0800, Zhuowei Li <zhuowei@gmail.com> wrote:
    > Hi,
    >
    > > Martin Roesch did a fantastic way of shedding light on this question.
    The
    > > short answer is "neither," but it comes down to this question: If the
    IDS
    > > sees an OpenSSL attack go towards an IIS server that isn't using
    OpenSSL, is
    > > that a false alarm or not? It's definitely not as useful as it would be
    as
    > > an alert if the attack were aimed at an actual OpenSSL listener, but
    it's
    > > not as useless as a complete false alarm that alerts on something that
    > > didn't happen at all.
    > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    > Under such scenario, if it is in signature-based intrusion detection,
    > it is yes since one of its tasks is to identify the intrusion
    > correctly for the purpose of response. However, in anomaly-based
    > intrusion detection, there is no such task, the only we can do for
    > anomaly-based is to alert that there is an anomaly occurs in the
    > system. That's a true alarm, right?
    >
    > Since Roesch's focus is on the signature-based, I think his/her
    > example is applicable only for his/her focus. For anomaly-based
    > intrusion detection, it is a different picture we should draw. right?
    >
    > Thanks.
    >
    > Li
    > _______________________________________
    > http://www.cais.ntu.edu.sg/~zhuowei
    >
    > >
    > >
    > > > -----Original Message-----
    > > > From: Zhuowei Li [mailto:zhuowei@gmail.com]
    > > > Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2004 2:21 AM
    > > > To: focus-ids@securityfocus.com
    > > > Subject: What is false alarm rate and false positive rate?
    > > >
    > > >
    > > > Hi,
    > > >
    > > > I am confused by the terms 'false positive rate' and 'false
    > > > alarm rate' within the context of intrusion detection. Does
    > > > anybody about what's the exact definition for these two terms?
    > > >
    > > > Some literatures said 'false positive rate = false alarm
    > > > rate', which the number of false alarms divided by the number
    > > > of alarms (true and false).
    > > >
    > > > Other said false positive rate is not equal to false alarm
    > > > rate, the false alarm rate is the same above definition, but
    > > > the false positive rate is "the total number of normal
    > > > instances that were incorrectly classified as intrusions
    > > > divided by the total number of normal instances"
    > > >
    > > > Who is true, who is wrong within the context of intrusion detection?
    > > >
    > > > Thanks.
    > > >
    > > > --------------------------------------------------------------
    > > > ------------
    > > > Test Your IDS
    > > >
    > > > Is your IDS deployed correctly?
    > > > Find out quickly and easily by testing it with real-world
    > > > attacks from CORE IMPACT. Go to
    > > > http://www.securityfocus.com/sponsor/CoreSecurity_focus-ids_04
    > > 0708 to learn more.
    > >
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    > >
    > >
    >
    > --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    > Test Your IDS
    >
    > Is your IDS deployed correctly?
    > Find out quickly and easily by testing it with real-world attacks from
    CORE IMPACT.
    > Go to http://www.securityfocus.com/sponsor/CoreSecurity_focus-ids_040708
    to learn more.
    > --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    >
    >

    -- 
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    Itsme,GautamSingaraju;)
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    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Test Your IDS
    Is your IDS deployed correctly?
    Find out quickly and easily by testing it with real-world attacks from CORE
    IMPACT.
    Go to http://www.securityfocus.com/sponsor/CoreSecurity_focus-ids_040708 to
    learn more.
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Test Your IDS
    Is your IDS deployed correctly?
    Find out quickly and easily by testing it with real-world attacks from CORE IMPACT.
    Go to http://www.securityfocus.com/sponsor/CoreSecurity_focus-ids_040708 to learn more.
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    

  • Next message: George Capehart: "Re: What is false alarm rate and false positive rate?"

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