Quick Answer
The answer is Wireshark, the industry-standard packet capture and analysis tool for network troubleshooting. Wireshark is correct because it performs deep packet inspection, capturing live traffic and decoding headers and payloads across hundreds of protocols, which allows an analyst to pinpoint abnormal traffic patterns, source and destination IPs, and even application-layer content. On the CISSP exam, this question tests your understanding of network security monitoring and the distinction between passive tools like Wireshark and active tools like port scanners or vulnerability scanners; a common trap is confusing Wireshark with a network mapper like Nmap, which discovers hosts but does not capture and analyze packet contents. Remember that Wireshark is for *listening* and *looking* at packets, not for sending them—think of it as a network stethoscope, not a scalpel. A useful memory tip: “Wireshark wires you directly to the packet’s heart.”
This CISSP practice question tests your understanding of communication and network security. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A network analyst suspects a host on the internal network is sending abnormal amounts of traffic. Which tool should be used to capture and analyze the packets?
Wireshark
Wireshark captures and analyzes packets in detail.
Nmap
Why wrong: Nmap is used for network scanning and discovery.
Netstat
Why wrong: Netstat displays active connections and listening ports.
Traceroute
Why wrong: Traceroute shows the route packets take to a destination.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Wireshark
Wireshark is the correct tool because it is a packet analyzer that captures live network traffic and provides deep inspection of individual packets, including headers and payloads. This allows the analyst to examine the abnormal traffic patterns, identify source/destination IPs, protocols, and payload content to diagnose the issue.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Wireshark
Why this is correct
Wireshark captures and analyzes packets in detail.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Nmap
Why it's wrong here
Nmap is used for network scanning and discovery.
Netstat
Why it's wrong here
Netstat displays active connections and listening ports.
Traceroute
Why it's wrong here
Traceroute shows the route packets take to a destination.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Nmap's ability to send and receive packets for scanning with actual packet capture and analysis, but Nmap does not provide the deep packet inspection or continuous capture that Wireshark offers.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Traceroute shows the route packets take to a destination.
Detailed technical explanation
Wireshark uses libpcap (or WinPcap/Npcap on Windows) to capture raw frames from the network interface in promiscuous mode, allowing it to see all traffic on the segment. It can decode over 2,000 protocols, including TCP, UDP, HTTP, DNS, and TLS, and supports display filters (e.g., `ip.src==192.168.1.1`) to isolate specific flows. In a real-world scenario, an analyst might use Wireshark to capture a pcap file and then analyze retransmissions or unusual packet sizes to detect a data exfiltration attempt.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Communication and Network Security — This question tests Communication and Network Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Wireshark — Wireshark is the correct tool because it is a packet analyzer that captures live network traffic and provides deep inspection of individual packets, including headers and payloads. This allows the analyst to examine the abnormal traffic patterns, identify source/destination IPs, protocols, and payload content to diagnose the issue.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This CISSP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CISSP exam.
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