On-access scanning is your main method of protection against viruses and other threats.
Whenever you open, save, copy or rename a file, Sophos Anti-Virus scans the file and grants access to it only if it does not pose a threat to your computer or has been authorized for use.
For more information, see Configure on-access scanning .
On-demand scans provide additional protection. As the name suggests, you initiate an on-demand scan. You can scan anything from a single file to your entire computer.
For more information, see Types of on-demand scan.