1. A method of authenticating users comprising: generating, by a processor, an authentication mask from captured biometric data, the biometric data being captured from a user during an authentication matching transaction; generating a gray scale image from the captured biometric data; aligning the authentication mask with a user enrollment mask and the gray scale image with a second user gray scale image; generating a biometric template from the aligned gray scale image; comparing, by the processor, the authentication mask against the user enrollment mask to determine a region common to both; and authenticating, by the processor, the user with biometric data, included in the biometric template, within the common region.