Final answer:
Perform regular vulnerability assessments and system audits, and establish a patch management process to ensure appropriate security controls and patches.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best choice to ensure that several systems have all appropriate security controls and patches, without attacking or compromising the systems, is to perform regular vulnerability assessments and system audits. These assessments will help identify any vulnerabilities or weaknesses in the systems and allow for the implementation of necessary security controls and patches.
By conducting vulnerability assessments, you can proactively identify and address potential security risks without causing harm to the systems. This process involves scanning the systems for known vulnerabilities, analyzing the results, and implementing appropriate security measures.
Additionally, establishing a patch management process is crucial. This involves regularly checking for software updates and patches released by vendors, and applying them to the systems to address any known security vulnerabilities.