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.
The IT department has scheduled system updates or backups, which are causing the increased processor utilization.
Legitimate user activity has unexpectedly increased during off-peak hours.
The workstation is likely infected with malware, such as a crypto-mining virus or other unauthorized software utilizing CPU resources.