What is the difference between MBSA and Microsoft Update?
Microsoft Update is a Web site that can scan a single computer and indicate missing/needed updates and install them as a group, along as the computer is connected to the Internet and can reach the Microsoft Update Web site. MBSA allows multiple computers to be scanned for missing/needed updates at one time by remote scan, whether or not the target computers can access the Internet and the Microsoft Update web site. By allowing computers to be configured for Microsoft Update, MBSA helps customers using Windows and Microsoft Update to get updated for other Microsoft products more easily. This is because when MBSA performs this configuration task, both the scanning performance is improved and the target computer’s Automatic Updates will receive notifications from Microsoft Update. If Automatic Updates has been configured to download and install updates, the move of Automatic Updates from Windows Update to Microsoft Update will offer improved security.