Script to turn On-Access scanning off/on

I found another way to get my backups done without interference from AV, and without giving up on AV. I used a Macro app: Keyboard Maestro instead of AppleScript to disable Sophos AV during backups.
See attached screen photo (below) of my Keyboard Maestro script that will disable Sophos AV for Mac On-access Scanning.

This script is triggered by launching the backup app, or by a keystroke, or by running an AppleScript or shell script to call KM & tell it which script to run. I would use AppleScript calls directly to Sophos except that I don't know how. If you search the Sophos Forums you’’’’ll see a few similar requests left unresolved.

Anyway, I’’’’ve found a number of uses for Keyboard Maestro, so even though it is not free, it is well worth the minor price they charge for it. And there is a vibrant KM support community. Fun & powerful tool but most importantly, able to resolve the problem.

I made a second, similar KM script to re-enable On-access Scanning which the backup app can activate when it is finished backing up.

The only differece is the Start or Stop button, which I needed to identify by graphic appearance. Because of the non-standard way it was programmed, it is not identifiable by button label.

Because this is automated, you’’’’ll need to save an admin username & pw in the script in cleartext. That needs to be your call, balancing your need for security against being able to run both Anti Virus and run a backup that doesn’’’’t lose access to the disk due to AV locking files. Anyway, this is going to work for me, and I wanted to let you all know one way how to disable Sophos Anti Virus for Mac via script. And how to re-enable it again. I'm sure there are other ways too. I wanted to report back to the group so that this problem will not be left unresolved.

 I hope you find this helpful.

I wrote about the problem & resolution in more detail:

http://www.nathanson.org/davesays/2013/how-to-disable-sophos-av-on-access-scanning/

 
Best,
Dave Nathanson
Mac Medix

I found another way to get my backups done without interference from AV, and without giving up on AV. I used a Macro app: Keyboard Maestro instead of AppleScript to disable Sophos AV during backups.
See attached screen photo (below) of my Keyboard Maestro script that will disable Sophos AV for Mac On-access Scanning.

This script is triggered by launching the backup app, or by a keystroke, or by running an AppleScript or shell script to call KM & tell it which script to run. I would use AppleScript calls directly to Sophos except that I don't know how. If you search the Sophos Forums you’’’’ll see a few similar requests left unresolved.

Anyway, I’’’’ve found a number of uses for Keyboard Maestro, so even though it is not free, it is well worth the minor price they charge for it. And there is a vibrant KM support community. Fun & powerful tool but most importantly, able to resolve the problem.

I made a second, similar KM script to re-enable On-access Scanning which the backup app can activate when it is finished backing up.

The only differece is the Start or Stop button, which I needed to identify by graphic appearance. Because of the non-standard way it was programmed, it is not identifiable by button label.

Because this is automated, you’’’’ll need to save an admin username & pw in the script in cleartext. That needs to be your call, balancing your need for security against being able to run both Anti Virus and run a backup that doesn’’’’t lose access to the disk due to AV locking files. Anyway, this is going to work for me, and I wanted to let you all know one way how to disable Sophos Anti Virus for Mac via script. And how to re-enable it again. I'm sure there are other ways too. I wanted to report back to the group so that this problem will not be left unresolved.

 I hope you find this helpful.

I wrote about the problem & resolution in more detail:

http://www.nathanson.org/davesays/2013/how-to-disable-sophos-av-on-access-scanning/

 
Best,
Dave Nathanson
Mac Medix