User authentication system and method

A high security computer system and method that authenticates a user using iris recognition and liveliness detection. The method for authenticating the user to the secure system includes capturing an image of the user's face and generating an iris template from the image. While the iris template is being generated, liveliness verification is performed on the user's face. User access is granted if the iris template matches the enrolled iris template and if the liveness verification demonstrates the user's face is live, and denied if otherwise. The method may optionally silently re-authenticate the user after access is granted to the secure system. The authentication system includes an image capture device for capturing an image, an iris template generation component to generate an iris template from the image, a liveness detection component, and an iris comparison component adapted to compare the iris template to iris templates of previously enrolled users.