The OSPT Alliance defined the CIPURSE standard to provide an open platform for securing both new and legacy transit fare collection[4] applications.
Designed for low-cost silicon implementations,[citation needed] the CIPURSE security concept uses an authentication scheme that is resistant to most of today’s electronic attacks.
Three application-specific profiles – subsets of the CIPURSE V2 standard tailored for different use cases – have been defined, with which vendors are required to comply when creating products targeting these applications: Products based on different profiles can be added to fare collection systems at any time and can be used in parallel to provide transit operators the greatest flexibility in offering riders a range of transit fare options.
Because they are derived from the same set of specifications, all the profiles are interoperable, reflect the same design criteria and have the same appearance, enabling developers to create products according to a family concept.
With its modular “onion-layered” design, the CIPURSE standard can be easily enhanced in the future with additional functionality and new profiles created to address changes in technology and business.
The CIPURSE V2 specification enables technology suppliers to develop and deliver innovative, more secure and interoperable transit fare collection solutions for cards, stickers, fobs, mobile phones and other consumer devices, as well as infrastructure components.