Ryan MacDonald
SVP/CTO at Liquid Web
Founder, R-fx Networks · Austin, TX
Over 20 years building Linux security tools and leading engineering teams in the managed hosting industry. Founded R-fx Networks in 2002 to address real-world security challenges across Linux environments, creating tools like Linux Malware Detect (LMD) — now deployed across hundreds of thousands of servers worldwide.
Currently serving as SVP/CTO at Liquid Web, where I lead technology strategy and engineering across dedicated, cloud, and managed application hosting platforms. Previously held VP Engineering and VP R&D roles building infrastructure for Magento, WordPress, and WooCommerce hosting at scale.
Originally from Montreal, Quebec. All R-fx Networks projects are released under the GNU GPL v2 License and are entirely community-funded through donations and contributions. No corporate sponsors, no paid tiers — just tools built to solve real problems.
Open Source
Approach
Threat data first
Every detection signature in LMD originates from real malware observed at the network edge — not vendor feeds, not theoretical CVEs. The tools are built around what actually hits production servers.
Minimal dependencies
Pure bash. No runtime interpreters, no agents consuming memory, no external frameworks. If it runs Linux, it runs R-fx tools — from embedded devices to enterprise bare-metal.
Ship what works
20+ years of maintaining the same tools means stability matters. Releases are driven by real-world need, not release cadences. Breaking changes are avoided when possible.
Community over capital
No venture funding, no enterprise editions, no upsells. These tools exist because sysadmins need them, and they stay free because the community sustains them.
Expertise
Security Engineering
Infrastructure
Development
Leadership
Experience
SVP, Chief Technology Officer
CurrentLiquid Web
Current
Leading technology strategy, platform engineering, and infrastructure for a major managed hosting provider serving tens of thousands of customers across dedicated, cloud, and managed application hosting.
VP of Engineering
Liquid Web
Previous
Directed engineering teams responsible for hosting platform development, automation, and customer-facing tooling.
VP of Technology / VP of R&D
Nexcess (powered by Liquid Web)
Previous
Led technology and R&D for managed application hosting platform. Built and scaled infrastructure for Magento, WordPress, and WooCommerce hosting at enterprise scale.
Sr. Director, Technical Integrations
Endurance International Group
Previous
Led technical integration initiatives across hosting brands, focusing on platform consolidation and shared infrastructure.
Founder & Lead Developer
CurrentR-fx Networks
2002 – Present
Created and maintained a suite of open source Linux security tools protecting hundreds of thousands of servers worldwide. All projects GPL v2 licensed and community-funded.
Network Security Consultant
2Checkout
Previous
DoS mitigation, network resilience engineering, and security architecture consulting for a global payment processing platform.
Advisory Board Member
BugZero
Previous
Advisory role in IT risk management and vulnerability lifecycle processes.
Connect
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