MS one-stop patch shop
p2p news / p2pnet: If you’re a Windows user, it makes more sense to use Microsoft Update instead of Windows Update, says Finland’s F-Secure.
That’s because Microsoft Update does everything Windows Update does, plus, "it also patches other common Microsoft software," states F-Secure’s Mikko Hyppönen. "This includes patching software like Word, Excel, SQL Server etc."
And patching Word is important, he stresses. "We’re regularly seeing targeted attacks made by e-mailing booby-trapped DOC files to companies. Word isn’t often patched as well as Windows itself is, and DOCs go through gateway filters much more easily than EXEs do."
Makes you wonder why they don’t use microsoftupdate.com for this, adds Hyppönen.
After all, "they do own the domain".
Also See:
F-Secure – Forget about Windows update, April 13, 2006
April 14th, 2006 at 10:07 am
…on the windows update page is a link to get office updates. isn’t that the same thing?
April 15th, 2006 at 7:44 pm
Yes, it is, but if have other M$ products beyond Windows and Office, like Visual Studio, Anti-Spyware, SQL packages, or Server components, Microsoft update will take care of most of these as well.
Microsoft Update was originally envisioned to be used by businesses and organizations with an installed network topology, whereas Windows update was geared more towards the individual user or a single machine. The lines have gotten blurred, but anyone can use Microsoft update (provided your WPA and WGA crap is currently valid.)