Patent ID: 7571472

Claim:
A method for facilitating credential validation comprising: receiving, at a first computer, initial credentials and a user identifier, wherein said initial credentials are received from a biometric interface coupled to said first computer; modifying said initial credentials using a first public key to create modified stored credentials; adding, at said first computer, a first signature to said modified stored credentials by using a first private key; embedding, at said first computer, said user identifier and said modified stored credentials within a second message, wherein said second message is encrypted using a public key of an authorization server; adding, at said first computer, a second signature to said second message using said first private key; transmitting said second message, from said first computer to a second computer, wherein the second computer validates said second message by using said first public key, decrypts said second message using a second private key, and stores said modified credentials; receiving, at said first computer, presented credentials; validating, at said first computer, said first private key received from a smartcard; transmitting a request from said first computer to said second computer, wherein said request includes a third signature obtained from said first private key; wherein said second computer validates said third signature using said first public key, and retrieves said modified stored credentials; receiving, at said first computer, said modified stored credentials from said second computer, wherein said modified stored credentials includes a fourth signature from said second computer; validating, at said first computer, said fourth signature; decrypting, at said first computer, said modified stored credentials; and, performing, at said first computer, a credential validation procedure to determine whether a credential match threshold is met by matching values of said presented credentials and values of said decrypted modified stored credentials.