What phase describes a virus that is inactive?

The dormant phase refers to a stage in a virus's lifecycle when it is present on a system but not actively spreading or executing its payload. During this phase, the virus can remain concealed and inactive, often waiting for a specific condition to be met or a certain amount of time to elapse before it activates. This characteristic allows the virus to evade detection and remain unnoticed by antivirus software and system users.

In contrast, the propagation phase involves the virus actively replicating and spreading to new systems or files. The triggering phase is when a specific event or condition prompts the virus to become active and execute its code. The execution phase is when the virus performs its intended malicious actions. Understanding these phases is crucial for cybersecurity professionals working to protect systems from malware threats.