Threats
This section brings together our coverage of specific threats affecting Windows users: malware categories, scam formats, and the tactics attackers use to get from a click to a compromised account or infected PC. Each page here focuses on how a threat actually works technically or psychologically, rather than repeating vague warnings.
Malware categories covered
Start with the malware overview if you're new to the terminology, then go deeper on specific families: rootkits for the hardest-to-detect category, or the trojan scanner guide if you're dealing with a suspected infection right now.
Scam and social-engineering coverage
Beyond software-based malware, this section also covers the human side of security: phishing, social engineering tactics more broadly, doxxing and personal-data exposure, and how AI tools are changing scam tactics and mobile-specific fraud.
How we approach threat coverage
We describe real, verifiable behavior — how a piece of malware achieves persistence, how a phishing kit is typically structured, what a ransomware note usually demands — without inventing specific campaign names or unverifiable statistics. See our editorial policy for how we source and verify what we publish.
Frequently asked questions
Is this section updated when new threats appear?
We update and add pages as threat tactics evolve, focusing on patterns that are well-documented rather than reacting to every individual incident.
Do you name specific malware campaigns or hacking groups?
We focus on documented techniques and behavior patterns rather than attributing content to specific groups we haven't independently verified.
Where should I start if my PC is currently infected?
Head to the malware overview for immediate cleanup steps, or Malwarebytes for Windows if you need a scanning tool right away.
Malware-Bytes.net is an independent information resource about malware protection for Windows. We are not Malwarebytes, and this site is not the official Malwarebytes website or support channel. Malwarebytes is a trademark of Malwarebytes Inc.