A method and apparatus for providing biometric authentication of a user uses a registration process in which a reference data sample representative of a biometric attribute of a reference user is used to train a statistical classifier such as a neural network to achieve a target output. The set of parameters of the statistical classifier, e.g. the weights that achieve this in the neural network, are stored on a user's device as a first data set. For subsequent authentication of a user to be tested at an access point, the first data set is retrieved from the user device and a second data set representative of the biometric attribute of the test user is generated directly from the test user. The first data set is used as a set of parameters in a statistical classifier, e.g. as weights in an artificial neural network, to generate a trained classifier or neural network and the second data set is then used as input to the trained classifier or neural network. The output of the trained classifier or neural network is then used to determine a degree of correlation between the biometric attribute of the reference user and the biometric attribute of the test user to be authenticated.
