Systems and methods for secure and authentic electronic collaboration

An online collaboration method, comprising:

• receiving a selection of a template from a plurality of templates for an online collaboration;
• receiving a list of a plurality of users for the online collaboration;
• biometrically authenticating each of the plurality of users with a computer prior to participation in the online collaboration avoiding transmission or storage of a user's biometric information;
• communicating with each of the plurality of users through a secure connection over the Internet for the online collaboration, wherein the secure connection over the Internet comprises a Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) connection, wherein each of the plurality of users communicates to a server to perform the online collaboration therebetween;
• wherein the biometrically authenticating comprises:
• sending software code to a device associated with a user of the plurality of users;
• scanning a fingerprint of the user at the device;
• creating a numerical index of the fingerprint responsive to the scan of the fingerprint to form a public key;
• receiving the public key from the device;
• authenticating the public key with a corresponding private key in an authentication database
• registering the user for biometric authentication, wherein to register comprises capturing a fingerprint scan of the user and storing a private key in the authentication database responsive to the fingerprint scan.

A secure computer system connected to a plurality of users, comprising:

• a hosted server with a network connection to the Internet;
• an authentication database communicatively coupled to the hosted server;
• a data store communicatively coupled to the hosted server, wherein the data store comprises data storage for an online collaboration;
• a plurality of users each with a networked device connected to the Internet, wherein the networked device comprises a biometric authentication device;
• wherein the hosted server is configured to host the online collaboration between the plurality of users through a secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) connection to each of the plurality of users and through biometric authentication of each of the plurality of users prior to accessing the online collaboration, wherein each of the plurality of users communicates to the hosted server to perform the online collaboration therebetween, and wherein the biometric authentication is performed avoiding transmission or storage of a user's biometric information through converting the user's biometric information to a numeric key;
• wherein to biometrically authenticate a user of the plurality of users, the hosted server and authentication database are collectively configured to:
• send software code to the networked device associated with the user;
• scan a fingerprint of the user at the biometric authentication device;
• create a numerical index of the fingerprint responsive to the scan of the fingerprint to form a public key;
• receive the public key from the device;
• authenticate the public key with a corresponding private key in an authentication database;
• and
• register the user for biometric authentication, wherein to register comprises capturing a fingerprint scan of the user and storing a private key in the authentication database responsive to the fingerprint scan.