A method, apparatus, and system are provided for authenticating and authorizing user access to a system. According to one embodiment, a request for authentication and authorization of a user is received from a secondary site on behalf of the user who is seeking to access a primary site via the secondary site via a computer network. The request includes information relating to the user. The user information is then verified for authenticity, including determining whether the user satisfies the criteria for obtaining authentication and authorization as defined by the primary site. If the criteria are satisfied, a token, associated with the user, is generated at the primary site. A portion of the token is transmitted from the primary site to the secondary site on behalf of the user to permit the user to access the primary site via the secondary site, via the computer network.