An IT department submits a purchase order to buy a new computer from a vendor. "Purchase orders" are documents issued by buyers that indicate a purchase they want to make from a seller. Which stage of the hardware lifecycle does this scenario belong to?

Procurement

Explanation:

Characteristics hardware lifecycle:

Procurement- Acquiring new IT hardware assets involves evaluating vendors, purchase orders, receiving, and device labeling.Deployment - Hardware configuration and installment, placing hardware and software assets into production environments.Maintenance & Support - Management of assets include scheduling scans and getting audit history.Upgrade - Before you retire your IT hardware assets, you’ll reach a processing plateau that can be restored with hardware upgrades.

Malware, not sure what else would fit that description.