No single term would cover both viruses and bacteria because there are other biological entities that are similar enough to each, such as prions or protozoa, that would need to be covered by a word that included viruses and bacteria.
The context in which you want to use this term would be useful. For non-technical audiences, you already said that microbe would work because you believed it included viruses. (And I think most non-technical readers would believe the same thing.) Germ might be a better word than you give it credit, for non-technical audiences at least.
Germ is a deceptively simple word that came to us from Latin germen, meaning a sprout, bud, or offshoot. In all of its meanings, the term germ retains the idea of developing into something more mature.
From MedicineNet. Germ as used in the phrase, germ theory of disease, means a small thing that develops into a mature disease.
For technical audiences, I think you accidentally made the best phrase in your question and comments. Something such as sub-multicellular biological entities with basic reproductive capabilities is precise, clear, and unambiguous. A technical reader will understand that this at least includes viruses and bacteria and will likely recognize the other potential members. This phrase could include loose genetic material, too.
You might try moving away from the word biological and towards the word organic. A prion, a virus, and a bacteria are all organic and all have the ability to replicate in the right conditions. Therefore, a phrase such as organic entity with reproductive capacity might work, but it is arguable that a virus does not have the capacity.
People often express their pride and/or current frustration at having enjoyed something before it became popular by saying that they liked it before it was cool.
There are many variations on this phrase. Here are some I pulled from a corpus:
- I supported Bernie Sanders before it was cool
- I used to eat Peruvian food before it was cool
- I was tea party before it was cool
- I liked Alexander Hamilton before it was cool
- He was advocating mindfulness before it was cool.
- the fans that loved this team before it was cool
- Martin Castrogiovanni had a beard before it was cool
- Roman Philosopher Seneca worried about information overload nearly 2, 000 years before it was cool.
- the age group that supported Barack Obama before it was cool
When people say that they liked something before it was cool, it doesn't necessarily mean that they no longer like that thing. They may just be bragging about being an early adopter.
That said, many people do use the phrase with such intonation as to convey the fact that they no longer like the thing, or that they still like it but are disappointed that it's become so popular. Here is an article about this use of the phrase.
Another variant of the phrase is before it was mainstream, where mainstream means "popular." Here are some examples:
- I liked it before it was mainstream.
- I was taking selfies before it was mainstream.
Sometimes people will even claim that something has become too mainstream, as in
- This song used to be good, but now it's too mainstream. (cf. here)
Other variants include
- I liked it before it was popular.
- I liked it before it blew up.
If you're looking for an adjective which describes a person who becomes disappointed when something they like becomes popular, you might consider protective or jealous in the sense of:
fiercely protective or vigilant of one's rights or possessions.
More broadly, one can be jealous (that is, fiercely protective) with respect to one's favorite bands and TV shows.
Best Answer
I would suggest that your original term, "man-in-the-middle (attack)", remains the best fit. It's not true that this can't be considered gender neutral - most dictionaries will confirm that there is a sense of the word 'man' that can stand for any person, e.g. from google: 2. a human being of either sex; a person.
Note that two of the most common "men in the middle" in examples are Eve (here, here, here) and Mallory (here) - i.e. most likely female. These names come from the common cast of characters in cryptographic literature.
There are other ways, mentioned in other answers, but not ways that will be as easily understood. "Man in the middle" is something of a fixed phrase, often abbreviated as MITM.
Variations such as "Monster in the Middle" are fun, but if communication efficiency is a concern, most people are going to find them a distraction. This may of course change over time if "Monster in the Middle" starts to catch on.
I would expect such a company to recommend an alternative term.