A physicist who once worked on a water purification system deep inside a Canadian nickel mine now finds himself safeguarding a critical, yet largely invisible, component of the internet. Alan DeKok, CEO of InkBridge Networks, leads the FreeRADIUS Project, the most widely used open-source Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) software.
DeKok’s path to cybersecurity was, by his own admission, serendipitous. After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics from Carleton University in Ottawa, he initially pursued research focused on neutrino detection. He spent years working at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory, descending two kilometers underground to a clean-room facility where the water purification system he helped develop achieved an impurity level of one atom per cubic meter. “Which is pretty insane,” DeKok told IEEE Spectrum. However, he ultimately decided that a career in nuclear physics wasn’t for him.
He transitioned into the computing industry in the late 1990s, initially working for companies focused on ISDN and two-factor authentication. It was during his time at CryptoCard that he began focusing on RADIUS servers, which act as gatekeepers, verifying user identities and controlling network access. When he moved to a new company in 1999, he began developing FreeRADIUS as a side project, recognizing a gap in the market for actively maintained open-source RADIUS software.
“Almost by accident, I became one of the more senior people in the space. Then I doubled down on that and started the business,” DeKok explained. He founded NetworkRADIUS, now InkBridge Networks, in 2008. Today, FreeRADIUS authenticates an estimated half of all internet users, supporting major internet service providers, global financial institutions, and Wi-Fi services like Eduroam. InkBridge Networks provides maintenance and support for the software to its enterprise clients, including AT&T, Goldman Sachs, and Orange.
DeKok attributes his success to a combination of preparation, and luck. He believes his physics background instilled valuable problem-solving skills. “You have to understand the big picture,” he said, noting the importance of explaining complex protocols within a broader context. He also emphasized the value of focusing on methods rather than simply acquiring knowledge, a skill he found wasn’t always emphasized in traditional engineering programs.
The decision to make FreeRADIUS open-source, initially driven by limited funding, proved crucial to its widespread adoption. “Initially a way to enter the market with little funding, going open source has allowed FreeRADIUS to compete with bigger companies as an industry-leading product,” according to Archyde. DeKok views the software as foundational infrastructure, akin to a building’s foundation – essential but often unnoticed. “You need it, but you never think about it until there’s a crack in it.”
Maintaining FreeRADIUS involves a continuous process of incremental improvements. DeKok describes it as a “ratchet effect” of minor fixes that accumulate over time. He has navigated challenges such as addressing vulnerabilities and the rise and fall of competing protocols like Diameter, which, despite offering improvements, lacked the simplicity and existing implementation base of RADIUS. He remains confident in RADIUS’s longevity, estimating that billions of dollars worth of equipment rely on it.
DeKok continues to lead the FreeRADIUS Project, exploring new markets and products. He expressed surprise at the scale of his company’s impact and the breadth of its customer base, acknowledging that his career trajectory was largely unexpected.