The world's first contactless smart cards compliant with the CIPURSE open security standard are now being used in different projects in Brazil.
The cards provide a convenient and cashless way to pay for services such as taxi rides or use health care. Manufactured by Giesecke & Devrient (G&D), the cards are based on a CIPURSE-compatible contactless security controller from Infineon Technologies. Initially defined for flexible and contactless transport and ticketing systems, CIPURSE also allows the flexible combination of identity and payment functions in mobile devices or multiple application cards.
As a truly open standard, CIPURSE helped the local system integrator Rede Protege move its applications to a higher security level, with increased flexibility and performance using existing reader infrastructure. "The open standard concept along with a modern and secure chip convinced us to adopt CIPURSE for nextgeneration smart cards and disposable tickets", says Josenesio Pedrosa, CEO of Rede Protege Group which is responsible for implementing these projects in Brazil.
CIPURSE is highly flexible and allows the combination of multiple transport- and ticketing applications on a single card. The cards can also easily support identity or payment functions. Utilizing the advanced AES 128 encryption algorithm, CIPURSE enables fast and secure transactions. Furthermore, a certification process ensures compatibility of CIPURSE products from different suppliers. This combination of features makes CIPURSE an ideal solution to implement open and future-proof contactless systems without compromising on security.
The OSPT Alliance (Open Standard for Public Transportation) develops and defines the specifications for the standard. Its members include G&D, Infineon, and other leading industrial corporations, as well as representatives of the public authorities and the municipal transport sector.
"The reference projects in Brazil mark an important milestone in the introduction of CIPURSE. The different applications prove the great flexibility of the new standard for secure contactless systems," said Laurent Cremer, Executive Director of the OSPT Alliance.
Contactless cards from G&D are being distributed in the Brazilian projects. The Infineon security controller used is the only worldwide solution to support both the open CIPURSE standard as well as existing Mifare Classic-compatible systems enabling a smooth migration to future-proof CIPURSE systems.