The router could have been configured "recently." Simply don't know. A dramatic increase in broadcast traffic is most likely an indicator of: C. Misconfigured router Broadcast storms or excessive broadcast traffic can occur when there is a misconfiguration in the network, leading to an abnormal amount of broadcast messages. This could result from issues such as loops in the network topology or incorrect router configurations, causing the broadcast messages to circulate excessively and degrade network performance. While options like a virus, SYN flood, or DoS attack can also impact network performance, a sudden and significant increase in broadcast traffic is more indicative of a misconfiguration in the network infrastructure.

Copied from another source with explanation why DoS: There are several denial of service (DoS) attacks that specifically use broadcast traffic to flood a targeted computer. Seeing an unexplained spike in broadcast traffic could be an indicator of an attempted denial of service attack. Answer: D is incorrect. Viruses can cause an increase in network traffic, and it is possible for that to be broadcast traffic. However, a DoS attack is more likely than a virus to cause this particular problem. Answer: C is incorrect. A syn flood does not cause increased broadcast traffic. Answer: A is incorrect. A misconfigured router could possibly cause an increase in broadcast traffic. However, this a recent problem, the router is unlikely to be the issue.

Copied from another another discussion because they worded it well A. Virus A sudden increase in broadcast traffic could indicate that a virus is present on the network. A virus can cause a significant increase in network traffic by initiating large amounts of broadcast traffic as it tries to spread itself to other systems on the network. A SYN flood and a DoS attack can also cause an increase in network traffic, but they typically do not generate broadcast traffic. A misconfigured router could also cause an increase in broadcast traffic, but it would be more likely to cause ongoing issues rather than a sudden increase. Therefore, based on the given options, the most likely cause of the sudden increase in broadcast traffic is a virus.