Blackberry's AI Robo-hacker gets to work finding bugs in connected cars code

0 1

By Matthew Griffin Robo Revolution 15th March 2018

WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF

As more products become reliant on software to function, and as programs get increasingly complex, human developers are finding it increasingly difficult to find and patch all the bugs and vulnerabilities.

As cars, especially self-driving ones, become more reliant on software it’s critical automakers can make their code as secure as possible. While I’ve seen a few Robo-hacker companies now, companies who use advanced, autonomous and incredibly fast Artificial Intelligence (AI) “hackers” to scan and patch code, take on botnets, and protect critical systems, including the US Pentagon’s own critical systems, that are now, ironically, protected by an autonomous Robo-hacker called Mayhem, it’s somewhat surprising to find Blackberry entering the fray.

At a keynote during the North American International Automotive Show (NAIAS) the other day the company’s CEO John Chen announced a new cloud based security tool called Jarvis that can scan the complex software required for modern connected and autonomous cars.

Jarvis in action

According to Chen’s description Jarvis scans automotive binary code to identify security vulnerabilities in the software used in modern and upcoming cars, much of which is written by third party suppliers like Nvidia whose own self-driving software, DAVE 2.0, which is based on a neural network, was recently itself found to have a catastrophic bug. Among Chen’s claims he says Jarvis can scan and deliver insights in minutes, reducing the time in one case study from more than 30 days to just 7 minutes.

“Connected and autonomous vehicles require some of the most complex software ever developed,” said Chen, “creating a significant challenge for automakers who must ensure the code complies with industry and manufacturer specific standards while simultaneously battle hardening a very large and tempting attack surface for cybercriminals.”

Once a car company signs up for Jarvis, it can be customised for their own needs across their entire software supply chain, letting them scan files for problems at all stages of a cars development, and while Blackberry is initially targeting automakers, Jarvis could help many other industries, scanning the complex software behind aerospace and military defense projects, healthcare, and industrial automation, for example, so watch this space.

Matthew Griffin / About Author

Matthew Griffin, multi-award winning Futurist and named Futurist of the Year 2024, has been described as a "Walking encyclopaedia of the future" by NASA and a futurist polymath. One of the world's most renowned futurists and strategic foresight experts Matthew is the 15 times author of the blockbuster "Codex of the Future" series, and is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working across the next 50 years, XPotential University, the world's first free futures and foresight university, and the World Futures Forum which works with the United Nations to solve the worlds greatest challenges. Matthew is an in demand international keynote, acclaimed university lecturer and mentor, and host of the hit Fanatical Futurist podcast.

A rare talent in his past Matthew helped build and run several multi-billion dollar business units for Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, and his ability to identify, track, and explain the impacts of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends on global business, culture, and society has earned him a powerful reputation and a roster of clients that include royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77+ governments, and many of the world's most respected brands including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi Group, Coca Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Disney, Dow, EY, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, and many others. He was also the only futurist invited to talk at the UN COP28 held in Dubai alongside world leaders.

Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.