While reviewing performance logs, you observe that the processor utilization for a standard office workstation has spiked to 95% and remained consistently high for an extended period during off-peak hours. The workstation is used for typical office tasks and should not be running resource-intensive applications. What is the most likely explanation for this phenomenon?
A hardware component within the workstation is failing and causing an increase in CPU usage.
Legitimate user activity has unexpectedly increased during off-peak hours.
The IT department has scheduled system updates or backups, which are causing the increased processor utilization.
The workstation is likely infected with malware, such as a crypto-mining virus or other unauthorized software utilizing CPU resources.
A consistent, high CPU utilization during off-peak hours on a workstation that normally performs low-intensity tasks is unusual and could indicate the presence of unauthorized or malicious activity, such as malware. Malicious software, like crypto-mining malware, can hijack system resources for processing power, causing prolonged high CPU usage. Rogue processes or unauthorized software might not always be obvious during routine operations, hence the anomaly during off-peak hours could be more easily detected. In contrast, expected system updates or backups would generally not max out processor utilization to such an extent or for an extended duration, especially if they are correctly configured to minimize performance impacts during off-peak hours. An increase in legitimate user activity would typically not occur during off-peak hours, and while a failing hardware component may occasionally cause increased CPU usage, it would be accompanied by other signs such as system instability, rather than merely high processor consumption.
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