A biometric user authentication method and computer program product includes receiving asserted user credentials from a user into a biometric authentication system, and obtaining a digitally-stored image key and ocular biometric data both associated with the asserted user credentials from memory within the biometric authentication system. The biometric authentication system is verified by simultaneously displaying the image key and at least one image other than the image key to the user and detecting that the user has selected the image key. The user is authenticated by scanning an eye of the user to obtain ocular biometric data and matching the scanned ocular biometric data to the digitally stored ocular biometric data. If the biometric system is verified and the user is authenticated, then the user is provided access to a protected area.