What remediation practice involves the application of updates to systems to fix known vulnerabilities?

The correct answer, which focuses on the application of updates to systems to address known vulnerabilities, is patching. Patching is a critical aspect of maintaining cybersecurity hygiene as it involves applying software updates released by vendors to fix security vulnerabilities in operating systems, applications, and firmware. These updates can remediate vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers, thereby reducing the overall risk to the organization’s information systems.

In contrast, network segmentation, while it can enhance security by controlling the flow of traffic within different parts of a network, does not directly involve fixing vulnerabilities through software updates. It primarily focuses on reducing the attack surface and containing potential breaches once they have occurred. Encryption protects data at rest and in transit but does not inherently address the underlying vulnerabilities in systems. Data loss prevention is oriented toward protecting sensitive data from unauthorized access and exfiltration, which is a different focus than the management of vulnerabilities through updates. Thus, patching directly aligns with the practice of applying updates to fix known vulnerabilities, fulfilling a crucial role in an organization's overall security strategy.