Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for authenticating an identity of a user in order to secure access to a host system. In this embodiment, the host system receives an identifier for the user from a client system. This identifier is used to retrieve a template containing biometric data associated with the user, and this template is returned to the client. The client then gathers a biometric sample from the user, and compares this biometric sample with the template to produce a comparison result. Next, the client computes a message digest using the template, the comparison result and an encryption key, and sends the message digest to the host system. This computation takes places within a secure hardware module within the client computing system that contains a secure encryption key in order to guard against malicious users on the client system.