200-201 Security Monitoring Practice Question
An analyst uses Wireshark to examine network traffic and wants to see only packets that contain the string 'password'. Which type of filter should be applied?
⚠ Common exam trap
200-201 often tests whether candidates know that string matching (contains "password") is only possible with display filters, not capture/BPF filters — picking 'capture filter' because it sounds like the pre-analysis step is the classic error.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Display filter
A Wireshark display filter is applied after capture to narrow what is shown from already-captured packets, and it supports string matching operators like contains. The filter frame contains "password" (or tcp contains "password") is a display filter that shows only packets whose payload includes that string. Capture filters use BPF syntax and cannot perform arbitrary string matching on payload content.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Display filter
Why this is correct
Display filters in Wireshark operate on captured packets already in memory, letting analysts match payload strings such as 'password' using expressions like frame contains. Capture filters apply earlier via BPF syntax and cannot search arbitrary payload text, so they cannot satisfy this requirement.
- ✗
Protocol filter
Why it's wrong here
Protocol filters match protocol fields such as tcp or http, not arbitrary payload content, so 'password' would not be isolated. It is tempting because protocol filtering is a common Wireshark workflow, but it would be correct when narrowing to a specific protocol rather than searching packet bytes for a string.
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Capture filter
Why it's wrong here
Capture filters run before packets are recorded, so a string match on payload would discard everything not already captured and cannot search reassembled content. It is tempting because capture filters reduce file size, but the correct choice is a display filter, which searches already-captured packets for the string.
- ✗
BPF filter
Why it's wrong here
BPF capture filters are applied before capture and cannot match payload strings such as 'password' across reassembled streams. It is tempting because BPF is powerful for host and port matching, but it would be the right choice for limiting captured traffic at the interface, not for content-based display filtering.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
This 200-201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-201 exam.