Fears For Card Security After Oyster Ruling

Details of how to hack London's Oyster pre-pay transport card system should be made public, a judge in the Netherlands has ruled.

The legal decision follows last month's news that a team of Dutch researchers was able to exploit security flaws in the card and ride on public transport in London for free. However, the judge has also ruled against fears that making the methods of Professor Bart Jacobs and others at Radboud University might compromise card security as a whole by making "card-cracking" techniques easily accessible.

Reacting to the decision, the university said in a statement that "in a democratic society it is of great importance that the results of scientific research can be published".

Moreover, in an interview with the BBC, a spokesman for Oyster card operators Transport for London attempted to reassure customers that hacks to the pre-pay cards remained near-impossible.

"Transport for London remains confident in the security of the Oyster card system; we take fraud and the security of personal data extremely seriously and constantly review our security procedures," he said.

"Any fraudulent card would be identified and blocked within 24 hours of being used. Using a fraudulent card for free travel is subject to prosecution and we would seek to enforce this wherever possible."