You work at a large company. You are concerned about assuring that all workstations have a common configuration, that no rogue software is installed, and that all patches are kept up to date. Which of the following would be the most effective for accomplishing this?

The correct answer is to implement a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). Virtualizing all desktops enables centralized management of patches, configuration settings, and software installation from one location. This approach effectively resolves all the challenges raised in the question. While implementing restrictive policies is advisable, enforcing them can be challenging. Likewise, imaging workstations only preserves their original configurations and does not ensure patching or prevent unauthorized software installation. Lastly, while robust patch management is valuable, it only addresses one of the three concerns.