User Authentication System and Method for Encryption and Decryption

Abstract

A system configured to authenticate a user for encryption or decryption includes a user authentication apparatus, a computer-readable medium operable to communicate with the user authentication apparatus, and an encryption and decryption computer communicating with the user authentication apparatus. The computer-readable medium may store user identifying information and encryption and decryption data. The encryption and decryption computer may be configured to receive an application programming interface (API) for interfacing with the user authentication apparatus and receive the user identifying information from the computer-readable medium via the API. A user may be authenticated based on the user identifying information and, once the user is authenticated, the encryption and decryption data may be read.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 a storage device storing authentication data;   a crypto server receiving a document over a communications network from a first computing device, the crypto server encrypting the document with a first key and securing the first key with authentication data from the storage device; and   an access server transmitting the encrypted document over the communications network to a second computing device.