A method of hash string extraction from biometric information is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of providing a biometric information sample in the form of a fingerprint for example, extracting features from the biometric information sample and encoding the features based on their location within the biometric information sample; and, generating a string of values based on the extracted features and their determined locations. The method further comprises the steps of hashing the string of symbols to produce a plurality of hash values for comparing the plurality of hash values against a stored hash value for identifying a user.