User authentication system and method for encryption and decryption

1. A bio-metric system configured to authenticate a user for encryption or decryption, the system comprising:

a bio-metric user authentication apparatus;

a computer-readable medium storing bio-metric user identifying information and encryption and decryption data; and

an encryption and decryption computer communicating with the user authentication apparatus and configured to:

receive an application programming interface (API) for interfacing with the user authentication apparatus;

receive from the computer-readable medium via the API the bio-metric user identifying information;

authenticate a user based on the bio-metric user identifying information; and

read via the API the encryption and decryption data once the user is authenticated.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the encryption and decryption data are encryption and decryption keys.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the encryption and decryption keys are stored in a definable hierarchy.

4. A method for authenticating a user for encryption or decryption, the method comprising:

interfacing at an encryption and decryption computer with a bio-metric user authentication apparatus for authenticating a user;

storing user identifying information, encryption and decryption data on a computer-readable medium;

receiving the user identifying information at the user authentication apparatus;

authenticating a user based on the user identifying information;

once the user is authenticated, reading the encryption and decryption data at the encryption and decryption computer.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising wirelessly interfacing with the user authentication apparatus.

6. A computer-implemented encryption/decryption handling method comprising:

interfacing at an encryption and decryption computer with a user authentication apparatus for authenticating a user;

storing user identifying information, encryption and decryption data on a computer-readable medium;

receiving the user identifying information at the user authentication apparatus;

authenticating a user based on the user identifying information;

once the user is authenticated, reading the encryption and decryption data at the encryption and decryption computer;

receiving a command to close or save a document;

after receiving the command:

verifying that a user has been authenticated;

determining if the document was previously encrypted prior to opening;

determining if there is a file indicator indicating that the document should be encrypted; and

based on the document having been previously encrypted or the existence of a file indicator indicating that the file should be encrypted, retrieving an encryption key from the computer-readable medium and encrypting the file using the retrieved encryption key.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the file indicator is stored in a database.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the computer-readable medium is a smart-card.