Multiple user authentications on a communications device

A computer-readable media that is not a signal encoded with computer executable instructions for authenticating a user of a communications device, by a method comprising:

• for each of a plurality of strong authentication credentials,
• receiving from the user an indication of the strong authentication credentials;
• and
• upon determining that a biometric characteristic is not associated with the strong authentication credentials,
• requesting the user to input a biometric characteristic;
• and
• receiving from the user a biometric characteristic to associate with the strong authentication credentials;
• maintaining a list of the strong authentication credentials and, for each strong authentication credentials, the associated biometric characteristic;
• receiving a biometric characteristic from a user;
• and
• upon determining the existence of strong authentication credentials associated with the received biometric characteristic in the list,
• retrieving from the list the strong authentication credentials associated with the received biometric characteristic;
• and
• authenticating the user using the retrieved strong authentication credentials associated with the received biometric characteristic.

A communications device for authenticating a user, the communications device comprising:

• a memory storing computer-executable instructions of:
• a component that receives from the user either strong authentication credentials or a biometric characteristic of the user;
• a component that, when the strong authentication credentials are received and when the received strong authentication credentials are not associated with a biometric of the user,
• requests input of the biometric characteristic from the user;
• and
• in response to the request,
• receives the biometric characteristic from the user;
• and
• stores the strong authentication credentials in association with the biometric characteristic;
• a component that, when the biometric characteristic is received, retrieves the strong authentication credentials stored in association with the biometric characteristic;
• and
• a component that authenticates the user using the received strong authentication credentials when the strong authentication credentials are received from the user and with the retrieved strong authentication credentials when the biometric characteristic is received from the user;
• and
• a processor for executing the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory.