Theo de Raadt
Founder of OpenBSD and OpenSSH
- Age
- 58 yrs
- Birthday in 194 days
- Works listed
- 2
- Operating system, Software
- Honours
- 1
- Most recent 2005
- Profile views
- 4
- 0 followers
Theo de Raadt is a South African-born Canadian software engineer who founded the OpenBSD operating system, known for its focus on security, and the OpenSSH project, whose secure remote-login software is used on almost every server on the internet.
Biography
Background
De Raadt was born in Pretoria and moved to Canada as a child. He studied at the University of Calgary, where he lives.
NetBSD and OpenBSD
He was a founding member of NetBSD in 1993. After disagreements, he founded OpenBSD in 1995, emphasising code auditing, security and correctness.
OpenSSH
In 1999 the OpenBSD team created OpenSSH, a free implementation of the Secure Shell protocol. It became the standard for secure remote access on Linux, macOS, Windows and network devices.
Style
De Raadt is known for blunt communication and strong positions on licensing and security. He received the FSF Award for the Advancement of Free Software in 2005.
Timeline
-
1968
Born in Pretoria, South Africa
-
1993
Co-founds NetBSD
-
1995
Founds OpenBSD
-
1999
OpenSSH released
-
2005
FSF Award
-
2014
LibreSSL fork after Heartbleed
Notable works
-
1995
OpenBSD Operating system
-
1999
OpenSSH Software
Awards and honours
-
FSF Award for the Advancement of Free Software
2005
Did you know?
-
1
OpenBSD’s motto boasts of only two remote holes in the default install in a very long time.
-
2
He started LibreSSL after the Heartbleed bug.
-
3
OpenBSD’s mascot is a pufferfish named Puffy.
Connections
Also born on 19 May
-
Ruskin Bond
Literature · Author of stories for children and adults set in the Himalayan foothills
1934
-
Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Film & TV · Hindi film actor known for Gangs of Wasseypur and Sacred Games
1974
-
James Gosling
Technology · Canadian computer scientist known as the father of Java
1955
-
Cheng Wei
Technology · Founder and CEO of DiDi, China’s ride-hailing leader
1983
- Gary Kildall Technology · Creator of CP/M, the first popular microcomputer operating system 1942
Frequently asked
Who is Theo de Raadt?
Theo de Raadt is a South African-born Canadian software engineer who founded the OpenBSD operating system, known for its focus on security, and the OpenSSH project, whose secure remote-login software is used on almost every server on the internet.
How old is Theo de Raadt?
Theo de Raadt is 58 years old, born on 19 May 1968 in Pretoria, South Africa.
Where is Theo de Raadt from?
Theo de Raadt was born in Pretoria, South Africa.
What is Theo de Raadt known for?
Theo de Raadt is best known for Founding OpenBSD (1995) and OpenSSH (1999); co-founding NetBSD.
What awards has Theo de Raadt received?
Notable honours include FSF Award for the Advancement of Free Software (2005).
References
- Theo de Raadt — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Official website. www.theos.com. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Theo de Raadt (Q18950) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Theo de Raadt”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Theo de Raadt.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/theo-de-raadt
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