Michael Richardson
Chief Scientist at Sandelman Software Works
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Summary
🤩
Rockstar🎓
Top SchoolMichael Richardson is a Chief Scientist and veteran network security engineer with 26 years of experience designing resilient, secure systems that prioritize usability and predictable behavior. Based in Ottawa, he blends deep protocol and kernel-level expertise—evidenced by substantive contributions to tcpdump, libpcap, Contiki IoT tooling, and enhancements to Shopify's widely used Liquid template engine—with practical systems architecture and performance tuning. A long-time IETF participant and RFC author, he specializes in network security protocols, IoT security, and geographically distributed project leadership. He runs Sandelman Software Works, consulting on security as an integral part of systems and performance engineering, and brings a hands-on, incrementalist approach forged since working on network stacks and security systems from the late 1980s. Unconventionally, his profile combines formal physics training with a self-taught programming pedigree and real-world maker/editor experience, reflecting both analytical rigor and a craftsman’s attention to detail.
26 years of coding experience
20 years of employment as a software developer
High School, High School at Glebe CollegiateBlack belt, Shotokan Karate, Black belt, Shotokan Karate at Douvris KarateBSc, Physics/CS, BSc, Physics/CS at Carleton University
ruby
Github Skills (21)
unit-testing10
c-programming10
c1110
network-programming10
ruby10
c1710
iot10
packet-capture10
sys10
network-protocol10
libpcap10
rpl10
packet-analysis10
liquid10
embedded10
Programming languages (19)
Github contributions (5)
the-tcpdump-group/tcpdump
Jul 2011 - Oct 2021
the TCPdump network dissector
Role in this project:
Back-end Developer
Back-end DeveloperContributions:17 reviews, 106 commits, 20 PRs in 10 years 4 months
Contributions summary:Michael primarily contributed to the `tcpdump` project by modifying and enhancing the packet dissection capabilities. Their work focused on integrating the `netdissect` library and adding support for new protocols and packet types, specifically focusing on Ethernet and RPL (Routing Protocol for Low-Power and Lossy Networks) packets, which involved modifications to header parsing and printing routines. Further contributions involved updating existing functionalities with more options. The user also contributed to general code enhancements such as fixing code typos.
bpfdissectorbsd-packet-filternetworkingwireshark
the-tcpdump-group/libpcap
Oct 1999 - Jun 2022
the LIBpcap interface to various kernel packet capture mechanism
Role in this project:Back-end Developer
Back-end DeveloperContributions:25 reviews, 198 commits, 40 PRs in 23 years
Contributions summary:Michael contributed to the libpcap project by making various code adjustments and enhancements to improve compatibility and functionality. Their work involved removing prototypes to facilitate building on NetBSD, adding a new function for using the BPF compiler without an open pcap, and fixing a bug related to buffer referencing. Additionally, they made modifications to the scanner and savefile components, indicating involvement in low-level packet processing and file format management.
bpfkernelmechanismbsd-packet-filternetwork-tools
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