Media Release

Mangaluru, Jul 28: Nitte University proudly celebrates the remarkable achievement of Sumanth Kamath, an alumnus of Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology (NMIT), Bengaluru, whose cybersecurity research has been featured by Boston University for uncovering a critical vulnerability in Boston's public transit payment system.

Sumanth, a graduate of the 2020-24 Bachelor of Engineering in Information Science and Engineering program at Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology (NMIT), is currently pursuing his Master's in Data Science at Boston University. Along with his co-researcher, Damodhar Pai of Boston University, he identified a design gap in the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) tap-to-pay fare collection system that could allow passengers to access transit services despite unsuccessful payment authorisation.

Rather than exploiting the vulnerability, the researchers followed the principles of ethical cybersecurity by responsibly disclosing their findings to the MBTA. Their work has been recognized by Boston University as an example of research that contributes to strengthening public infrastructure and improving digital security. The research highlights a complex challenge within modern contactless payment systems, where rapid transaction processing and tokenized digital wallets can occasionally create gaps in payment verification. Sumanth's analysis provided valuable insights into how such vulnerabilities could be addressed through better coordination between transit agencies, payment networks, technology vendors and financial institutions.

Speaking about their decision to report the issue, Sumanth emphasized that public transit systems depend on fare revenue and that responsible disclosure enables organizations to resolve vulnerabilities before they can be misused. His approach exemplifies the values of integrity, professionalism and public service that responsible researchers uphold.

The Nitte University community takes immense pride in Sumanth's accomplishment and congratulates him on earning international recognition through meaningful and socially responsible research. His journey from the classrooms of NMIT to contributing towards improving critical digital infrastructure abroad, serves as an inspiration for aspiring engineers and innovators.

Nitte University wishes Sumanth continued success as he advances the frontiers of data science, cybersecurity and responsible technological innovation.

Here is Sumanth’s video interview by NBC Boston: https://www.nbcboston.com/video/on-air/as-seen-on/mbta-tap-to-pay-vulnerability-exposed/3963998/