What is a common symptom of a malware infection?

• A. Unexplained slowdowns in computer performance
• B. Increased Wi-Fi signal strength
• C. Higher battery life in laptops
• D. Unexpected software updates

Answer: (A)

A common symptom of a malware infection is unexplained slowdowns in computer performance. When malware is present on a system, it often consumes system resources such as CPU and memory, which can lead to noticeable delays in performance. Users may find that programs take longer to open, tasks become sluggish, and overall responsiveness diminishes. This is primarily because malware may run background processes that use up critical resources, affecting the efficiency and speed of legitimate applications.

Increased Wi-Fi signal strength is unrelated to malware infections; it would typically depend on factors such as the router's performance or the distance from the access point. Higher battery life in laptops also does not indicate a malware issue; in fact, malware can often drain battery life more quickly due to excessive resource use. Unexpected software updates can occur for multiple reasons, including legitimate software maintenance or automatic updates, and while some malware may disguise itself with unwanted software updates, this symptom is not as directly correlated with infections as performance slowdowns are.