START HERE: Malware Analysis Roadmap for Beginners

If you're new to malware analysis, this roadmap helps you start safely:

1. Learn Windows/Linux internals
2. Study assembly language basics
3. Set up isolated lab (VMware/VirtualBox + snapshots)
4. Static analysis: IDA, Ghidra, Radare2
5. Dynamic analysis: Procmon, Wireshark, Sandbox
6. Document findings professionally

Share your current level and goals to get guidance from the community.

For beginners: focus on 32-bit PE samples first before moving to complex 64-bit malware.

Dynamic instrumentation is my favorite — helps to catch runtime decryption routines.

Documentation is key. I keep a step-by-step lab notebook, including screenshots and process logs.

Volatility saved me multiple times when analyzing memory-resident malware. Highly recommended!