BlackBerry's 'Jarvis' scans connected, autonomous cars for software vulnerabilities

An onboard system developed by BlackBerry for Land Rover. (BlackBerry QNX / Land Rover)

At the Detroit motor show, BlackBerry CEO, John Chen, unveiled the firm's new cybersecurity software, Jarvis, designed to analyze the many software systems used in connected and autonomous cars to identify potential security vulnerabilities.

Jarvis aims to analyze all of the complex IT systems onboard connected and autonomous vehicles with speed and reliability. In initial testing, carried out with Jaguar Land Rover, Jarvis was able to evaluate the security of a vehicle's software systems in just a few minutes -- a task that can usually take up to 30 days! If a flaw is detected, Jarvis immediately sends an alert with an accompanying recommendation.

BlackBerry is initially aiming this cloud-based solution at automakers. However, ultimately, Jarvis could find use in other sectors, such as the aerospace or healthcare industries. Note that Jarvis was unveiled just a few days after BlackBerry demoed the latest update to its QNX operating system, also used in the automotive industry, at CES in Las Vegas.

Coincidentally -- or not -- Jarvis also happens to be the name of the artificial intelligence developed by Tony Stark in the "Iron Man" adventures (where J.A.R.V.I.S. stands for "Just A Rather Very Intelligent System").