A method of automatically authenticating clients on a computer system network enables clients on the network to be automatically logged in and added to a backup database and assigned for backup. The method employs a public key/private key encryption system in which clients have a public key and the backup server has a private key. The backup server interrogates new clients to determine client status and whether the client supports the public key/private key certificate. If it does, the backup server uses key values from the client decrypted using its private key to generate encryption keys which are employed in an algorithm for securely communicating with the client to log the client into a backup database. Otherwise, the backup server uses a password entered by a user in the client for generating the encryption keys. Additionally, the method enables backup software and public keys to be automatically push installed on the clients.