Alexander Richardson

Papers

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About

Alexander Richardson is a leading researcher in computer architecture and systems security, with a primary focus on capability-based security models for embedded and cyber-physical systems. His most influential work, "CheriRTOS: A Capability Model for Embedded Devices" (2018, 20 citations), introduced a transformative approach to protecting ubiquitous embedded systems—from automotive to medical and avionics devices—against sophisticated attacks in an increasingly connected world. This work demonstrates how CHERI capabilities can provide fine-grained memory protection and compartmentalization for resource-constrained real-time operating systems. Richardson further advanced the field with "CHERI Macaroons: Efficient, host-based access control for cyber-physical systems" (2020), addressing the critical vulnerability of network boundary defense in CPS environments. His research tackles the unique challenges of decades-long service lifetimes, tight hardware/software coupling, and real-time constraints that make traditional security mechanisms impractical. By bridging capability hardware security with practical embedded system constraints, Richardson's work has established foundational principles for securing the next generation of connected devices against memory corruption and privilege escalation attacks, earning recognition as a key contributor to the CHERI ecosystem.