Abstract
The immune system has received a special attention as a potential source of inspiration for innovative approaches to solve database security issues and build artificial immune systems. Database security issues need to be correctly identified to ensure that suitable responses are taken. This paper proposes an immunity-based error containment algorithm for providing optimum response in detected intrusions. The objective of the proposed algorithm is to reduce the false positive alarms to the minimum since not all the incidents are malicious in nature. The proposed algorithm is based on apoptotic and necrotic signals which are parts of the immunity structure in human immune system. Apoptotic signals define low-level alerts that could result from legitimate users but could be also the prerequisites for an attack, while necrotic signals define high-level alerts that result from actual successful attacks.