Canadian software maker BlackBerry has launched new cybersecurity software. The system will identify vulnerabilities in programs used in self-driving cars.
The product, called Blackberry Jarvis, is being marketed first to automakers but could also have applications in healthcare and industrial automation.
Jarvis will all software components in an autonomous vehicle scan in real-time to predict and fix vulnerabilities.
Once initiated, automakers will have online access to Jarvis and can scan files at every stage of software development, the company said.
“Jarvis scans and delivers deep actionable insights in minutes, what would otherwise involve manually scanning that will take large numbers of experts and an impractical amount of time”, said the Executive Chairman and CEO of Blackberry John Chen in a central address at the North American International Automotive Show (NAIAS) on Monday.
Last year, the global “ransomware” attack, dubbed WannaCry, helped raise awareness of BlackBerry’s security software business, which is largely focused on managing secure connections to mobile devices.
BlackBerry has already begun trialing “Jarvis” with some of the world’s largest automakers like Tata Motors’ Jaguar Land Rover unit, whose chief executive said Jarvis reduced the time needed to assess code from 30 days to seven minutes.
“Jaguar Land Rover and BlackBerry share a common objective in bringing the most intelligent vehicles to reality” said Ralf Speth, CEO, Jaguar Land Rover.
Once initiated, automakers will have online access to Jarvis and can scan any number of binary files at every stage of software development.
This includes the capability to evaluate new software under consideration as well as the ability to assess existing software already in production.
BlackBerry also announced that in September it would partner with auto supplier Delphi Automotive Plc on a software operating system for self-driving cars.