Ben Hawkes

Ben Hawkes is a computer security expert and white hat hacker from New Zealand, currently employed by Google as manager of their Project Zero.[1] [2]

Hawkes has been credited with finding dozens of flaws in computer software, such as within Adobe Flash,[1] Microsoft Office,[1][3] Apple's iOS[4] and the Linux kernel.[5][6] His role was acknowledged, for instance, in an Adobe 2015 security bulletin, which announced updates that addressed critical vulnerabilities that allowed hackers to take control of the affected system.[7] In 2019, he reported two vulnerabilities that could allow hackers to tap iPhone microphones and spy on calls.[8]

Before Hawkes became part of Project Zero, he was first part of the Google team tasked with the security of Google's product launches.[9] Hawkes regularly publishes research on his works, particularly on vulnerability analysis and software exploitation such as novel heap exploitation techniques on Windows.[9]