False positive is a term used in cybersecurity to describe a situation where a security tool or solution incorrectly flags a benign file, activity, or event as malicious. False positives can occur when a scanning tool, web application firewall (WAF), or intrusion prevention system (IPS) incorrectly flag a security vulnerability during software testing. False positives can also occur when a security system identifies a threat that doesnt exist or mislabels harmless software as malicious. False positives can have a significant impact on cybersecurity as they can mislead security teams and waste time and resources that could be better spent on identifying and responding to actual threats. False positives can also create a false sense of security, leading people to believe that their systems are more secure than they are. False positives are the opposite of false negatives, which give a false sense of security by indicating that there is no vulnerability when in fact there is.