Which of the following best describes the impact of a broadcast storm on a switch's processing?

A broadcast storm occurs when there is an excessive amount of broadcast traffic on a network, overwhelming switches and network devices. This scenario can significantly degrade the processing performance of a switch. When a switch receives a flood of broadcast packets, it must process each one, leading to a high CPU usage and eventually causing the switch to become inefficient. The switch may struggle to maintain its normal operations, which can result in packet loss, increased latency, and the inability to forward legitimate traffic effectively.

As the network becomes congested with broadcast packets, legitimate data packets may be delayed or dropped, causing further degradation in overall network performance. Consequently, switches may experience difficulty managing their resources and maintaining stable communication within the network. This negative impact is why the scenario best reflects a degradation of processing performance, confirming that the choice indicating this is the correct response.