An is auditor reviewing a network log discovers that an employee ran elevated commands on his/her pc by invoking the task scheduler to launch restricted applications. this is an example what type of attack?

I would say a cyber attack. since it is any kind of offensive act on a computer system including pc's that steals, alters or destroys confidential information and which is considered hacking a computer. Using the task scheduler to launch restrictive applications seems to qualify as such an attack since it is violating the restrictive applicatios.