What VM metric is likely to increase after applying security automation scripts on application virtual machines?

The correct answer is CPU. When security automation scripts are applied to application virtual machines, they often perform operations such as scanning for vulnerabilities or applying patches. These operations require processing power and can lead to an increase in CPU usage because the virtual machines are engaged in executing these resource-intensive security tasks.

While DMA, BIOS, and I/O metrics are relevant to the performance and operation of virtual machines, they do not directly correlate to the effects of running security automation scripts. DMA (Direct Memory Access) typically relates to high-speed data transfer within a system, BIOS is related to the system firmware and hardware initialization, and I/O focuses on input/output operations, which might not necessarily see an immediate uptick just from running security scripts. Conversely, the CPU metric is most closely associated with the computational demands imposed by security automation activities.