Brooks Davis

Brooks Davis is a Visiting Industrial Fellow in the Department of Computer Science and Technology at the University of Cambridge and Principal Computer Scientist at SRI International. He leads engineering efforts on CheriBSD, a version of FreeBSD adapted to support CHERI (Capability Hardware Enhanced RISC Instructions) architecture.

Research develops capability-based security models for modern operating systems, with focus on implementing least-privilege principles. Contributions include the initial implementation of CheriABI, a pure-capability application binary interface designed to enhance security while maintaining compatibility. Work spans hardware-software co-design, formal verification, and operating system security.

Professional activities bridge academic research and industrial application, advancing capability systems for real-world security challenges. Collaborations involve ARM Research, Microsoft Research, and academic partners in the CHERI project consortium.