At this point, the primary use case of Cisco Duo is to secure access to systems, applications, and data through multi-factor authentication (MFA), and we use Cisco Duo, which we also provide to other clients. We implemented it and use it ourselves. The IT and finance departments should be involved in the process.
Senior Information Security Engineer at DAAC System Integrator
Security measures and seamless updates improve organization
Pros and Cons
- "All features of the solution are effective, particularly those involved in identifying vulnerabilities and updates."
- "My overall rating for the solution is ten out of ten."
- "There was an issue related to integration with third parties."
- "There was an issue related to integration with third parties."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
Simplified Access Management with a centralized admin control, security remote access even with their BYOD etc.
What is most valuable?
All features of the solution are effective, Duo supports BYOD policies by allowing users to authenticate securely from their personal devices. This flexibility allows employees to work from anywhere while ensuring that only secure devices can access corporate data. This has been very effective for our organization, and we have not encountered any issues. We use Cisco Duo and provide it to our clients as well. We implemented it and also use it internally. The IT and finance departments should be involved.
What needs improvement?
I found some issues yet do not remember them specifically. There was an project requirement related to facial recognition integration imbedded in duo.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Duo
July 2025

Learn what your peers think about Cisco Duo. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: July 2025.
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For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of the solution is okay. We have not found any issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Until now, we did not find issues related to scalability as we did not implement the solution at a large scale.
How are customer service and support?
The customer service is okay. However, the response time could be faster.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup consists mostly of demos, so it is not very hard to implement.
Additionally, there is also online support available. The setup took around a week, depending on how big the infrastructure is.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The setup cost is reasonable, estimated at around six euros per month.
What other advice do I have?
We did not find any issues. The clients who want to acquire this product need to change something in the security infrastructure by implementing MFA security authentication, like Duo, and so on. My overall rating for the solution is ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Last updated: Jan 15, 2025
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Telecom Engineer at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Video Review
The easy remote access is the biggest benefit
Pros and Cons
- "At the moment, the ease of use is what is the best feature for me. Once it has been set up and the security can hoc to my mobile device, it's very simple to use my single sign-on, get prompted for a Duo Security, push, go to my phone, accept the push, and I'm done. It's a very simple process."
- "The only thing I can think of to improve for tech support is to have a dedicated engineer but then I would get an engineer that has priorities in one area or another and maybe not the scope I need."
What is our primary use case?
I work in an institution with about 6,000 people. I'm a telecommunications engineer. I use Duo Security as my access point when working remotely. Because I'm a telecommunications engineer, I have to have access to my systems remotely, and our VPN client requires that we go through second-level verification, for which we use Duo Security.
Ours is on-prem. We have on-prem Duo Security. We do not use cloud at this time.
How has it helped my organization?
The benefit of Duo Security, for me, is the very easy remote access. I don't have to go through repeated steps to log in to my platform, and it's the same process every time. It works quickly, and it's just that simple.
When it comes to securing our infrastructure from end to end, I wish I could speak more in-depth about that. I do know that Duo Security does identify me as a user, and the folks that need to track who's using it, when, and why. I know that there are very detailed and well-designed reports to let them do that. I am not on that side of Duo Security. Again, as a user, the best part is the ease of use.
What is most valuable?
At the moment, the ease of use is what is the best feature for me. Once it has been set up and the security can hoc to my mobile device, it's very simple to use my single sign-on, get prompted for a Duo Security, push, go to my phone, accept the push, and I'm done. It's a very simple process.
What needs improvement?
The only thing I can think of to improve for tech support is to have a dedicated engineer but then I would get an engineer that has priorities in one area or another and maybe not the scope I need.
I like the fact that when I open a ticket, I'm not getting the same caller calling back. I like the variety of support that Cisco offers.
Opening a technical assistant's request is a little challenging at times. I wish that the Cisco website could understand who I am from the chart and just let me in rather than forcing me to pick out my contract number, my address, or something like that. They should make it streamlined, make it simple.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been in this current position with Duo Security for two and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
To my knowledge, we are relatively stable. I know there are times when in-house we may have difficulty with servers, connectivity, or databases, but it only happens sporadically. I think in my experience, we've had Duo not work maybe once or twice in the last two and a half years. It usually results in rebooting a server.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
When we speak of clients on which Duo Security is deployed, every user in my environment typically has a cell phone and a laptop and we use mobile push. I believe we do use PIN capabilities, as well, but primarily we use mobile push. I suspect that it's on a PC mobile platform.
How are customer service and support?
On average, Cisco's technical support is very good. There are times that I need to go through escalation processes, but once I escalate it, I know that I'm going to get the service I need. The more challenging part for me is defining the problems so that the technical solution reps can help me solve them.
My rating for Cisco technical support would vary depending on what they are supporting for me. I would say they've never dropped below, say, a 7.5, but pretty consistently range in a nine out of ten category.
I think Cisco support works very hard to satisfy my needs as a customer rather than frustrating me.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I believe that they did use a different solution. I actually believe that we did not have multi-level verification on our VPN login when we started out. As a result of COVID, it became necessary to have multi-level verification. That was when Duo Security was introduced. I also understand, this was prior to my employment, that Duo Security was enacted in less than seven days.
What was our ROI?
As a case for return on investment, I would stretch my exposure and say that the return has been remarkable because we went from full-time, on-premise workers, to full-time remote for everyone for several months. Subsequently, many of our staff now work a hybrid schedule, and Duo Security makes it entirely possible.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
When it comes to pricing, the only thing I can say is that working in education, when you buy a product, it has to have value. My assumption is that Duo Security has a great deal of value for its cost.
What other advice do I have?
To advise somebody about Duo Security, I would say it works. It works.
I have not experienced another security program like Duo Security. I don't have a way of rating it other than to say, I'm happy with how it works, and it makes my job easier.
I'll give it a 9.25 out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Duo
July 2025

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Network Administrator at a energy/utilities company with 5,001-10,000 employees
A multi-factor authentication offering a good dashboard while being reasonably priced
Pros and Cons
- "The administrator tool in the dashboard is the most valuable feature. It's really easy to quickly see if users are locked out from their device, firmware code, or just all the little dashboards and reports I can run to give the security for monthly reports. The dashboard's really good."
- "The pain point for us at one point was the Duo Authentication Proxy since we're on-premises and not in the cloud. We had to have a proxy machine that's in our DMZ to talk to Duo for us. The configuration of that was a little complicated."
What is our primary use case?
Our general use cases are for multi-factor authentication for our networking and data center environment devices. We also do some SAML for our network monitoring tools with our different partners in our environment. With SAML, we use it for RADIUS and TACACS authentication.
How has it helped my organization?
The solution has definitely made our administrative access and privileged access to our data center architecture more secure by using multi-factor authentication. It's no longer just a password. You need to have Duo Push. It also helps the security team keep track of when people log in a lot easier, and you can just go to Duo Security to do that. The multi-factor aspect for us was the big reason why we chose Duo. We are Cisco, and it's integrated with Duo Security.
What is most valuable?
The administrator tool in the dashboard is the most valuable feature. It's really easy to quickly see if users are locked out from their device, firmware code, or just all the little dashboards and reports I can run to give the security for monthly reports. The dashboard's really good.
What needs improvement?
The pain point for us at one point was the Duo Authentication Proxy since we're on-premises and not in the cloud. We had to have a proxy machine that's in our DMZ to talk to Duo for us. The configuration of that was a little complicated.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Duo Security in my organization's environment for eighteen months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I never faced any stability issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I never faced any scalability issues.
How are customer service and support?
The solution's technical support has been great. The only times I've ever had to call them was when I had to deal with Duo Authentication Proxy, and they were very helpful. They would go through your config and help you figure out any little pain points you're dealing with as far as integrating those different protocols, but they were fine every time I had a call. I rate the support a nine out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
Regarding implementation, it was a really quick project. I think we did PoC to the final rollout in six weeks. Duo Security is very integrated with other security and Cisco products, it took us around six weeks, and we had the solution up and running along with multi-factor authentication for all privileged access users in our environment. Previously, we just had a username and password. It was a big win for us.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Price-wise, the solution has been very, very reasonable, especially since I like that you can scale, and they work really well if you need to expand quickly or retract. We haven't had any problems. Licensing is the last thing I think about regarding Duo Security because it's so easy, and I had no problems with it.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
During our evaluation phase, we looked at Okta. For privileged access and for our authentication protocols like RADIUS and TACACS, Okta didn't have that functionality. They did SAML, so you could secure web apps or SaaS platforms or anything like that, but not our internal data center networking infrastructure. Duo Security was the only one that really had that capability. It was a really quick process. It's been great ever since.
What other advice do I have?
It is a very powerful tool when it comes to securing infrastructure from end to end. It makes authentications seamless for the users, and it's very well integrated with, like, Cisco ISE. It's not hard to maintain, and that was the biggest bonus. You don't want pain points for your users. Integration and the solution's seamlessness were the two big points.
Regarding my impressions of Duo Security's ability to help reduce risks and breaches, I would say that it is very high. The biggest pushing risk for us is insider threats, so mitigation requiring multi-factor authentication for privileged access reduces that threat surface. Duo Security was a really quick and really easy way to get a really quick win on that.
Duo Security's user authentication and device verification for helping to prevent and identify attacks is pretty good, especially for profiling the devices and for devices that have Duo's app in them. It helps us to understand the users of Duo about which firmware is running and whether they're possibly running firmware that could have some vulnerabilities. It's all in the dashboard. It's very easy to make reports and see them. It really helps people who use Duo, and they have their endpoint in there. It really helps us see a lot about their device.
It helps us save money and time, especially for identify privileged access users who are having problems logging into devices. We get it to automatically alert us, so we can be proactive about finding out what the issue is because if you see a lot of repeated attempts to log in to something, then you see that in Duo, it will email us, and then we can go to just investigate and remediate the issue. It's usually somebody with a bad password, trying to put it in many times, but you never can be sure. So it really helps us be proactive in the aforementioned situations.
Regarding my assessment of Duo Security for establishing trust for every access request, no matter where it comes from, I would say that it does pretty well. So, I don't know if I can talk more about this because we really only have certain avenues into privileged access devices, so I really can't say if it is from anywhere.
It is very important for me that Duo Security considers all resources to be external, especially from a principal security standpoint. It's a great posture to have, and I think that having that kind of posture is good for your security just inside your own network if you treat everything as external. They speak the same language security-wise that we look for in our organization.
Duo Security has helped improve my company's cybersecurity resilience, considering that in our limited scope of where we use it, we are more resilient because of those formation things where we learn about issues proactively, and then we can actually mitigate them, and the report shows trends. So if we see trends, we can see what we mitigated, and we can look at those trends and see if there's a more focused approach than maybe a more long-term thing we need to look at or a bigger change we need to look at. I would say it's helpful from that point.
I would tell those planning to use the solution that Duo Security is a seamless and really transparent solution for its users, and it's very integrated into one's existing systems. Ease of implementation is for somebody who has to engineer a solution and implement it. The ease of implementation is one of the top five things. It's the ease of implementation and it's the integration in your existing systems that really sells Due Security for me.
I rate the overall product a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Professional Services Engineer at a outsourcing company with 11-50 employees
Integrates with tons of applications, works seamlessly, and comes with excellent documentation
Pros and Cons
- "Documentation is the most valuable feature, and if you ever have to reach out to them with a question, their support is also fantastic."
- "More automation and device insights would be helpful in achieving a seamless single pane of glass. Having the additional capability to streamline processes would also make things better."
What is our primary use case?
We have implemented it in our organization, and we also implement it for our clients. Duo Security is used to push multi-factor authentication while signing onto computers. We have integrated it with on-premises Active Directory, Azure Active Directory, and Office 365. We have also integrated Duo Security with Mimecast and Mac devices. We have a couple of other use cases, but predominantly, it is for multi-factor authentication. It verifies the identity of a user through a token or a mobile phone app.
How has it helped my organization?
It is pretty seamless for establishing trust for every access request, no matter where it comes from. There is logging everywhere. So, if something did happen, you can see everything. In terms of getting conditional access in Azure AD, once you have it set up properly, it just works as expected. They have a huge application inventory that you can integrate with to get that established. They're one of the top vendors.
It is seamless with an easy-to-use portal. It has a lot of automation in there to onboard users and get them to talk with the Duo system. Once they're in the Duo system, it really comes down to what applications they need to get access to, and they're off to the races. They do a great job on that.
It helps support hybrid work. It is very important to have something like that in place because when you are in a hybrid environment, you lose some visibility and control. Having Duo Security in place, you can analyze all different authentication logs and anything else that applications might be interacting with. You can quickly pinpoint and troubleshoot something if an issue comes up.
It is seamless in maintaining network connectivity. In terms of its uptime, in the last couple of years, I can't think of how many times it ever went down. It has to be a very high SLA. It is consistent in maintaining network connectivity across all workplaces, such as campus, branch, home, and micro-office environments.
It helps to remediate threats more quickly. With application logs, it definitely starts to point you in the right direction to figure things out instead of hunting in a bunch of different directions. In a single pane of glass, you can very quickly see which IP address it was coming from and who was trying to initiate that and on which device. It definitely speeds up the process.
What is most valuable?
Documentation is the most valuable feature, and if you ever have to reach out to them with a question, their support is also fantastic.
Its ease of use is also valuable. From start to finish, you can get the whole environment set up within a couple of hours. Everything is easy to follow. The UI is good, and the process is very straightforward.
What needs improvement?
More automation and device insights would be helpful in achieving a seamless single pane of glass. Having the additional capability to streamline processes would also make things better.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been implementing Duo Security for about four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is very stable, and they constantly update the documentation to make it easy to integrate with. The SLAs have been very good when working with them where it is not going down or there are constant problems or anything like that. Overall, it is a very good experience for anybody who is using it.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Its scalability is great. There are tons and tons of applications that you can integrate it with. It could become a key piece for the organization for authentication.
There are probably more than 20 customers who are using this solution.
How are customer service and support?
We seldom had to use their support. Most of the time, we go to their FAQs or review their documentation, and we are able to find the answers that we are looking for.
We had an agent that wasn't installed properly on a Mac device, and they could quickly identify the issue and give us recommendations about what we needed to do to fix it. Once or twice, they've taken a little bit longer to get back to me. They've helped me in solving the issue, but it wasn't a seamless experience. I would rate them an eight out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I haven't yet used another solution, but that doesn't mean that I won't. Microsoft is another multi-factor authentication provider. Duo Security is a much more streamlined implementation. If you want easier management, Duo wouldn't meet that need. It is an additional layer of cost that has to get factored in versus a Microsoft solution that may already come included with your license.
How was the initial setup?
It is very simple to integrate. You do need to have an understanding of how it integrates with all potential applications, and Duo documentation is fantastic and helpful in getting it implemented.
Its implementation takes as little as a few hours. Your bigger challenge usually is onboarding end-users into the Duo environment, which comes down to:
- How many users are part of the project?
- How easy is it to get in touch with them?
- How well can they follow the directions to get it fully set up?
What about the implementation team?
We implement it for our clients. We are like an integrator. Our clients may purchase the licensing through Duo, and then they sign a statement of work with us to install and get it provisioned for them. Inexperience and not having the time to do it are the two primary reasons why clients ask us to implement it. Sometimes, they can set up the basic pieces of Duo, but they need help with integrating it with Office 365. That's because there are things that need to be set up on that side, and they may not know how to do that.
Most of the integrations are cloud-based. There are a few clients who want to have a user sign on to a remote desktop, which needs integration with on-premises Active Directory, but most integrations are with Mimecast, Office 365, and Azure AD, and all these are cloud-based.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is affordable for what's coming to the table with it, but in this day and age, the cost is looked at under a microscope, and companies need to very finely define what is needed versus what is critical. In some cases, it might not be cost-effective for a company to have it. In a lot of other cases, it is the cost of doing business.
What other advice do I have?
It is somewhat of an uphill battle to get users to buy into it, but after it gets implemented and they see how easy it is, it is a pretty seamless experience.
A big challenge with end-users is that they see it as another layer that they have to remember and worry about. It is very easy to set up the application to get authenticated. Once you break that curve, it gives end users a sense of security where they know that if they're trying to sign on to Office 365 or some other application, they need to authenticate with Duo to make sure that they have the multi-factor authentication. If they saw a request come in and it wasn't them, they can deny it.
Duo Security has had minimal impact on our organization, but we do have an increased feeling of security. Knowing that you have to have a certain device to authenticate into whatever you need to authenticate into gives peace of mind.
It hasn't eliminated trust from our organization's network architecture, but it has added efficiencies to it. There are other things that we might put in place to make sure that we get towards a zero-trust model, but it obviously aids in achieving that end goal.
It doesn't really provide single-pane-of-glass management. In terms of the security posture of an organization, Duo Security is not a one-stop solution for everything. You still need a combination of a lot of different security measures to develop the full posture, but as far as authentication is concerned, in that one layer, you get the authentication logs and easy integration with all different applications, and you also get some device insights and things like that. All of those together definitely give it points towards being a single pane of glass, but you need other security applications to make that holistic environment very security agnostic.
It is one of the many key pieces that all organizations need, especially if they want to integrate with many applications. There are other solutions out there, such as from Microsoft, for multi-factor authentication.
I would rate it a nine out of ten. There is always room for improvement, but for end-to-end authentication, it definitely provides a great mechanism for organizations in getting that single pane of glass.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Security Specialist at zeezsecops.com.ng
Effectively safeguards against unauthorized access attempts or server breaches
Pros and Cons
- "They are users who, as mentioned before, utilize RDPAP and MDPAP. It includes functionalities related to finance, specifically in single sign-on."
- "I believe there are two new features. I am interested in adding auto-admin services and incorporating icons for easier navigation. This could contribute to a new business idea platform. I have seen the features, and they make things easier, resolving issues from before. The platform has been updated, and there's now another link in my platform for media access. When it comes to improvements, the UI can be more user-friendly, and there is room for easier navigation. Perhaps there could be enhancements in customization. I haven't faced issues in storage or backup, but I am open to improvements in customization functionality. It's not my environment, but I see possibilities for improvement in the deployment of funds. The addition of new features is appreciated, and for customization, it could provide more freedom for users."
What is our primary use case?
On my end, Cisco Duo suits my account needs well. The application remains in place. We generally apply Cisco Duo across various use cases. Many customers, including banks and private organizations, use it for enhanced security, particularly in financial and general security tasks.
What needs improvement?
I am interested in adding auto-admin services and incorporating icons for easier navigation. This could contribute to a new business idea platform. I have seen the features, and they make things easier, resolving issues from before. The platform has been updated, and there's now another link in my platform for media access.
When it comes to improvements, the UI can be more user-friendly, and there is room for easier navigation.
There could be enhancements in customization. I haven't had issues with storage or backup, but I am open to improvements in customization functionality. It's not my environment, but I see possibilities for improvement in the deployment of funds.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Duo for the past year. Customers request server protection using various servers, and it can integrate with applications. It is an MFA solution, designed for server access and data security.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Typically, I manage things directly from the GUI, and I handle whatever comes up. So far, stability has been an issue, but I am not the creator of the solution, so I cannot predict future occurrences.
Generally, it has been fine without any notable issues, but the future is uncertain. I would rate it 8 out of 10.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable and I would rate it 8 out of 10. Regarding the size of your customers, they are mostly large enterprises.
How are customer service and support?
We haven't encountered any significant issues so far. The only time we need to contact support is when something arises, and they promptly address it. Everything else has been running smoothly.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
I would rate it seven because it comes with numerous features that require continuous upgrades. I have observed the need for consistent updates in the inventory. It is beneficial for newcomers to the platform, as data is continuously added, and automation has reduced the effort required to find information. It roughly takes 12 hours to be deployed.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I am not aware of the pricing. There are two departments, and I don't have any information about them.
What other advice do I have?
Cisco Duo effectively safeguards against customer factors, such as unauthorized access attempts or server breaches. It provides a high level of protection, ensuring only authorized individuals have access to the environment. I am confident in its security features.
I would rate it 8 out of 10.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. partner
Dynatrace Architect at a hospitality company with 10,001+ employees
A robust solution with impeccable stability and good functionality, it fits well in a layered defense strategy
Pros and Cons
- "The app has greater stability than rival solutions such as Google Authenticator, and Duo Push authentication is a valuable feature."
- "I would like to see some features simplified, such as securing, configuring, and implementing Microsoft Remote Desktop. Other than that, the solution was rock solid throughout my time administering it."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case is for two-factor authentication. We also use the solution to secure Microsoft Remote Desktop, VPN, and SSH connections.
We deployed the product primarily to address security concerns, for example, implementing a more secure security posture using Duo Security.
My initial deployment of the product at a previous employer was across multiple environments and business units. We were primarily an active directory shop using Windows servers and desktops and Wise desktops, all of which utilized Duo Security as their two-factor solution.
In my current environment, the tool is implemented in different forms, on-premise and in the cloud. We deploy it everywhere.
How has it helped my organization?
Duo Security has been utilized in multiple organizations I've worked for, and it simplifies connecting securely via VPN, Microsoft Remote Desktop, and SSH.
What is most valuable?
The app has greater stability than rival solutions such as Google Authenticator, and Duo Push authentication is a valuable feature.
The product worked to establish trust for as long as I've used it. It's a more functional solution than some competitors, which I discovered during the POC process. I think that Duo Security considering all resources to be external is one of the reasons why they are at the top of their field.
Duo Security simplified establishing trusted connections, making it easier to implement distributed network solutions. I've always found it to be a good part of a layered defense strategy.
Most of the end users when I was responsible for implementation, didn't quite understand the value of the solution until it was demonstrated.
The tool does provide single-pane-of-glass management in my experience. I haven't implemented the solution for years, but I'm a user in my personal and professional life. Therefore, I can say that feature is essential in making Duo Security one of the critical steps in a defense-in-depth strategy.
I never had any problems maintaining network connectivity, and it always performs well.
Based on the logging I have seen Duo Security use, I would say their solution does help with threat remediation. It is an integral part of the defense strategy.
A robust two-factor authentication solution is a massive part of a proper defense strategy, and having Duo makes it easier to implement and manage that two-factor solution.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see some features simplified, such as securing, configuring, and implementing Microsoft Remote Desktop. Other than that, the solution was rock solid throughout my time administering it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable, I've never seen it go down.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product is incredibly scalable.
How are customer service and support?
I had to contact technical support on a few occasions, and my problem was always resolved, but it took some time and work to reach a workable solution. My experience with them is primarily positive, but there is room for improvement.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
At the job in which I carried out the POC for the solution, we used physical RSA tokens, and I have been at locations that use HID tokens. In my opinion, the soft token solution is far better; it's more user-friendly, and staff can utilize the strategy more efficiently, effectively, and, unfortunately for RSA, more securely than the physical tokens offer.
How was the initial setup?
The basic deployment is very straightforward, though some Microsoft Remote Desktop support elements were a little more complicated. Primarily in getting the correct values and additional resources required for the deployment.
I wasn't involved in the deployment at my current company. At my previous employer, I did the POC and the initial training for our help desk groups.
What about the implementation team?
I carried out the implementation myself; I was responsible for maintaining all of the integration points and training the help desk team members to support the product.
What was our ROI?
It's hard to precisely measure an ROI for security solutions, but I would say it provides a return.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I haven't seen any information on the pricing in four years, so I can't comment on that.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We tested a SecureAuth solution that didn't meet our security standards. We wanted to try RSA Authentication Manager, but that was more complex for users, so we decided to go with Duo Security.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
When I carried out the POC for Duo Security at my former employer, I pitched it to them because it simplifies the login process and has excellent notifications. Physical tokens can be hard to read, especially for admins and staff trying to remediate problems late at night. We wanted a solution that was easy to set up and configure, and that is what we got; being a cloud-based solution, Duo Security is much easier to manage. We don't need to worry about managing, upgrading, and configuring much on our side; that's all handled in the cloud.
The first company I mentioned working for was based in Ann Arbor, and Duo Security is or was based there too. I had personal relationships with several team members and recognized their product's value.
The solution improved trust models within our organization, significantly changing how people view connecting to the network. I don't think that it has had an impact on employee morale.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Lead Support Tech at a non-profit with 51-200 employees
An easy-to-use and easy-to-deploy product that enhances security and gives insight into policy violations
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is easy to use."
- "The product could be more intuitive on the app."
What is our primary use case?
We use Duo Security for 2FA during logins.
What is most valuable?
We needed 2FA for compliance. We already used Cisco across the board, so it made sense to use the product. We benefit from using the solution. We were unaware that some users were sharing logins and doing some things that went against policies. Once we had Duo Security in place, we realized that codes were not going where they needed to, and we could sort that out. The solution is easy to use.
What needs improvement?
We have some users that don't prefer to use the app. The product could be more intuitive on the app. We have users that are a little dated in their technology adoption. Telling some of our non-intuitive users to use the app was a little struggle.
For how long have I used the solution?
We implemented the solution about a year ago.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We haven't had any issues with the solution’s stability at all. We've had no issues with it not being compatible anywhere.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We're a pretty small shop. We have less than 100 employees, so scalability is not a huge concern because there's not a lot of growth right now. However, bundling and provisioning the tool with any device is pretty easy.
How are customer service and support?
Support is good. We've had a couple of issues with the tool, and anytime we needed anything answered, we've got it resolved. Everything's been quick and reasonable. We generally expect to get answers the same day we have the problem, although it is not possible.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
To my knowledge, we didn't have any issues in the rollout. We tried to phase it out over the course of a few weeks. Once we got a few of them tested, we went to the next phase. Then, we decided to go 100% with it because we saw no problems doing a stack of implementation. It was pretty good.
What was our ROI?
My organization sees an ROI on the product. If there's any attempt at a breach, then we're confident that it will be stopped.
What other advice do I have?
The solution is deployed on the cloud. We're pretty sure it's on our end with the telephone system. We have set up automated phone calls to the desk phones, and sometimes they don't go through or are delayed. However, we've been looking through it and are pretty sure it’s on our telephone system.
I rate the product a seven out of ten in securing our infrastructure from end to end. It's pretty straightforward for people that have done 2FA before, but we have a lot of users that haven't. We have to do a little convincing to get them to do the additional step.
We have saved time by using the tool so that we can dedicate our time to other valuable projects. The tool’s Self-Service Portal helped us with uptime. The solution is good at establishing trust for every access request, no matter where it comes from.
We have policies for our machines and for our phones. The solution really opened our eyes to what people needed to do on their phones and what they were actually bringing to the building.
Duo Security absolutely helped our organization improve its cybersecurity resilience. Our employee and guest network are separated. However, people were bringing their personal devices and doing work-related things on them that we weren't aware of. The solution allowed us to see a little bit more of what was going on at the user level.
Duo Security was the first implementation in our organization. We did not use similar solutions before. Choosing the solution was a pretty quick process. Duo Security was the first one that we demoed. We didn't have any issues, so we went right with it. We chose it because of its ease of use and implementation. We were able to roll it out fairly quickly, so there was no reason to look elsewhere.
We had some partner companies and sister companies that were starting to have breaches. They told us that if we had 2FA, it wouldn't have been a problem.
Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
A reliable and easy-to-use solution that is reasonably priced
Pros and Cons
- "The product is reliable and easy to use."
- "The technical engineers in the first line of support should improve their knowledge."
What is our primary use case?
We use Duo Security for multi-factor authentication.
How has it helped my organization?
The product makes our organization more secure.
What is most valuable?
Duo is reliable and easy to use. I’m pretty happy with all of the features. The user experience is pretty good. People without any technical background can run the applications without any issues.
What needs improvement?
The technical engineers in the first line of support should improve their knowledge. We often have to bounce all the cases to different levels.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Duo Security for more than ten years.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is pretty responsive. When there was an issue, support was able to provide a solution.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
From the security team’s perspective, the solution is pretty easy to deploy. From an end user’s perspective, it is very easy to download it and add the device to the profiles.
What about the implementation team?
We deploy the solution in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is reasonable.
What other advice do I have?
Since I'm not an admin, I don't know how the device gets set up. The product is pretty good at securing our infrastructure. It protects everything and hardly leaves anything open. The infrastructure is secured.
Duo Security cannot do it all when it comes to reducing the risk of breaches. It can probably provide up to 50%, and the rest depends on the user. Things like phishing emails depend on the user. There is nothing that Duo Security can't do. The product does a pretty good job of protecting the infrastructure.
Duo Security’s user authentication and device verification are very good and very reliable. When we get a message to upgrade, we upgrade the tool. I don't have to spend a lot of time to get the device up to date.
The solution is reliable for establishing trust for every access request. It definitely is able to establish trust for the identity to protect the infrastructure. Our organization doesn’t necessarily believe that all resources must be considered external. We try to strike a balance between convenience and security. We don't treat everything as external. We keep certain internal stuff that doesn't have to go through the authentication.
The product increases the awareness of the employees about cybersecurity. Every time I log in, a Duo box pops up saying that I am authenticated and not leaving everything wide open. Try it and get a trial base, and then you will see the difference the tool can make.
Duo is the first platform that we used. My organization did an analysis to see how many potential attacks we'll have and how much money will be lost if we do not deploy Duo. I am not sure about the metrics, though.
Overall, I rate the product a nine out of ten.
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

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Updated: July 2025
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