Duo Security provides multi-factor authentication for anything that requires multi-factor authentication. It could be our internal corporate services, such as a single sign-on portal, or applications, such as Google Cloud.
Head of IT and Security at a consultancy with 11-50 employees
Stable, easy to set up, and has useful push notifications, integrations, and mobile app
Pros and Cons
- "The push notifications and the integrations they offer are valuable. Their mobile app is very useful. It is very easy to use."
- "The only time I really had some negative feedback for them was about the UI of their mobile app, but they improved it in the last version. It is good on the functionality side, but their pricing model is a little bit weird. Currently, there is no price advantage in signing up for yearly contracts. If you are on a monthly term or a yearly contract, you basically pay the same price, and that is very unusual. Normally, there is a discount when someone signs up for the 12-month system."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
It is very easy for users to enroll. There are a lot of insights that we get from using the app on devices that people use to authenticate.
What is most valuable?
The push notifications and the integrations they offer are valuable. Their mobile app is very useful. It is very easy to use.
What needs improvement?
The only time I really had some negative feedback for them was about the UI of their mobile app, but they improved it in the last version. There was no way to (re)name 3rd party OTP accounts so it got confusing when multiple ones were existing. In addition, each account took a lot of space on the screen, they condensed it in the new version to make it easier for people that have a lot of accounts added. Duo has a beta program and actively solicits and listens to feedback which personally I think is great.
It is good on the functionality side, but their pricing model is a little bit weird. Currently, there is no price advantage in signing up for yearly contracts. If you are on a monthly term or a yearly contract, you basically pay the same price, and that is very unusual. Normally, there is a discount when someone signs up for the 12-month system.
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For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution probably since 2014. In this company, we have been using it for two years in total.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable. Over the last six or seven years, I didn't have any issues where something wasn't working.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The maximum number of users that I have had is around 600, and I haven't found any issues there. In my current organization, every employee is using this solution. We have 250 employees.
How are customer service and support?
I have not interacted with them. I never had to open a support case.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We didn't have anything in place.
How was the initial setup?
It is pretty straightforward. I just need to log in to an account and integrate systems that should be using Duo Security. That's basically it. It probably took me an hour to roll out the accounts.
What about the implementation team?
IT support helps users if they run into problems with the application, but that's about it. There is no separate team for its maintenance and deployment. There are a lot of service options for our users. They don't even need to contact IT support. On a new phone, they can even do it on their own.
What was our ROI?
It has provided ROI.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Their pricing model is a little bit weird. Currently, there is no price advantage in signing up for yearly contracts. There are no additional costs to the standard licensing costs.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We looked briefly at Okta Verify. It is the Verify app from Okta to use a single sign-on provider. It had the same price but far less functionality. It was a no-brainer to just go with Duo Security.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise others to look at the integrations that are available and see if they can roll it out to as many applications as they can. Encourage users to use Duo Push versus the six-digit pin code that the applicant generates.
I would rate Duo Security a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

Solutions Architect at a mining and metals company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Video Review
Makes it easy for the user to approve access and go through the process of logging in to the VPN
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Duo Security is the ability for the user to easily approve access. The application prompts the user, and they can see the location and the IP address. This makes it easy for the user to approve it and go through the process of logging in to the VPN."
- "Integration between Duo Security and FTDs needs improvement. Integrating Next Generation Firewall safety with Duo Security currently requires a proxy agent between Active Directory and the appliance. It's an additional factor that we need to think about. It would be great to have direct integration with FTD so that we don't have to worry about middleware products. For the rest of the Cisco Secure solutions, the APIs need improvement."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case is multifactor authentication for our VPN users. We didn't have multifactor authentication before. After we integrated Duo Security with our systems, everyone has been using it, and it has given us peace of mind when dealing with VPNs.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Duo Security is the ability for the user to easily approve access. The application prompts the user, and they can see the location and the IP address. This makes it easy for the user to approve it and go through the process of logging in to the VPN.
Duo Security can be used for any type of authentication apart from that for VPNs. It saves time and prevents problems because it is user-friendly.
What needs improvement?
Integration between Duo Security and FTDs needs improvement. Integrating Next Generation Firewall safety with Duo Security currently requires a proxy agent between Active Directory and the appliance. It's an additional factor that we need to think about. It would be great to have direct integration with FTD so that we don't have to worry about middleware products. For the rest of the Cisco Secure solutions, the APIs need improvement.
Duo Security needs to improve the delivery of text messages to the users. This has been a big pain point for us over the years. Though we understand that the local telecoms are the ones responsible for the final delivery of the message, there should be a way to improve the process. Some users don't use the application and rely on SMS messages. It is a problem at times because the messages are not delivered.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using Duo Security for almost six years.
We use Cisco Umbrella, ISE, FirePOWER Services, Next Generation Firewalls, FTD, ASA, and Duo Security.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of Duo Security is great. We receive notices for any problems or issues in a very timely manner.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is generally easy to scale. If you have the ability to deploy Duo Security yourself or can leverage third-party integrators, there should not be any issues with scalability.
How are customer service and support?
Cisco support for Duo Security has been great. We haven't had many cases, and most of the ones we have had were related to SMS and text messaging delays.
On a scale from one to ten, I'd rate technical support at eight. They are quick to provide solutions but can improve on working with third-party service suppliers so that end-user experience is better.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
Deploying Duo in our environment was very easy because of the pre-staged configuration. It was very quick, and in one to two days, we had a VPN concentrator using Duo Security.
What about the implementation team?
Duo Security was initially deployed using a consultant, but afterward, we deployed multiple additional VPN concentrators ourselves.
What was our ROI?
The return on investment has been huge in terms of protection from cyber-attacks. We have been able to protect our employees by having multifactor authentication. This is invaluable for companies in the current threat landscape.
In terms of support, it's always great to have happy users who are able to easily log in to our environment through VPN without having to bother about non-working software agents or any other type of authentication platforms.
What other advice do I have?
My advice to you if you are evaluating Duo Security would be to do your research and compare it to other competitors. If you are a Cisco-oriented company, you will see that there are several benefits to using Duo Security. You will also see that it has the edge over other solutions on the market.
On a scale from one to ten, I would rate Duo Security at eight. The stability and user experience are great, but there's room for improvement in terms of text message and SMS delivery.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Network Engineer at a government with 501-1,000 employees
Improves our security and helps in providing context-based access
Pros and Cons
- "It's easy to use for the security part, and it helps to improve our security posture."
- "They can make authentication easier. It should be done in a shorter time. Sometimes, it can take a bit more time to get the answer on your phone. You have to wait a bit longer to get the SMS code and other things. There can be some internet or connection issues. They should make it faster because sometimes, it's urgent, and you need to access something as soon as possible."
What is our primary use case?
We use Duo Security for two different parts. One is for access to one of the servers, and the other one is for accessing the VPN connection.
How has it helped my organization?
It helped free up the time of IT staff. It helped them to manage the control within the users. They can control who gets access to which part of the system. For example, if there is a group of people who need a certain type of permissions, they can set them up easily. They can gather them in groups and give specific permissions. They can also give specific permissions to only one person.
It has been very useful in detecting or fixing threats that come into the organization.
What is most valuable?
It's a good thing for the authentication of your credentials. It's easy to use for the security part, and it helps to improve our security posture.
What needs improvement?
They can make authentication easier. It should be done in a shorter time. Sometimes, it can take a bit more time to get the answer on your phone. You have to wait a bit longer to get the SMS code and other things. There can be some internet or connection issues. They should make it faster because sometimes, it's urgent, and you need to access something as soon as possible.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for about two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
In general, all Cisco products, not just the Duo product, have a lot of stability.
How are customer service and support?
Their tech support is pretty good, but there are some disadvantages. Sometimes, they take a long time to answer. I understand that some of the issues are not very easy, and it takes time to research them. I'd 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?
We didn't use any non-Cisco products. We were only using Cisco products. The IT part of our organization is using the Duo authentication system, and we are using another part of the server for authentication.
How was the initial setup?
It's not very hard. It doesn't take long. The IT gives us an access code for it.
I just downloaded the app, and after that, just got the security code from that department. I entered that, and it was done. That's it. If you are changing your device and they're just resetting your data, it can take two or three minutes maximum for a new device.
What other advice do I have?
I'd rate Duo Security an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Cybersec Consultant at Freelance
The best solution that meets our security needs and is very stable, scalable, and easy to use
Pros and Cons
- "It meets our security needs very well. It is easy to use, and documentation is also available. It is also very stable and scalable, and its support is also very good. We are satisfied with this solution."
- "Its documentation must be in French because we are a French-speaking country. They should also provide more training documentation. Its management interface should also be improved. They should also improve its update period. If I compare its update period with other products such as Palo Alto firewalls, this solution is really slow in updates."
What is our primary use case?
We are using it for perimeter protection.
How has it helped my organization?
We are using it to protect the DMZ servers of our organization. It protects our DMZ servers from malware and web attacks.
What is most valuable?
It meets our security needs very well. It is easy to use, and documentation is also available.
It is also very stable and scalable, and its support is also very good. We are satisfied with this solution.
What needs improvement?
Its documentation must be in French because we are a French-speaking country. They should also provide more training documentation.
Its management interface should also be improved. They should also improve its update period. If I compare its update period with other products such as Palo Alto firewalls, this solution is really slow in updates.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution since October 2019.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is very scalable. In my company, I have between 90 to 100 users. We also have some users who are working at another site.
We have plans to increase its usage, but due to COVID, we're mostly working remotely.
How are customer service and technical support?
Their technical support is very good. They are very reactive. The last issue for which I contacted them was related to an OS update.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have used Check Point and Palo Alto solutions previously.
How was the initial setup?
It is very easy for me. I work with a lot of solutions like this. Its deployment took two weeks.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Its price is reasonable. It is not highly expensive.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated lots of options from different vendors.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution. Duo Security is the best solution for the cybersecurity challenges that we are facing nowadays.
I would rate Duo Security a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Network Engineer at a healthcare company with 51-200 employees
Helps to log in to Citrix, VPN and servers
Pros and Cons
- "I love Duo Security's push notifications. It's simple, fast, and secure. From the user's perspective, the solution is seamless. The security aspect is great."
- "We already have Active Directory enabled in our routers and switches. However, if we could do two-factor authentication, then it could go a long way since no one's getting into them unless you want them to."
What is our primary use case?
We try to use the solution for pretty much everything that we can use with it. The tool helps us to get into our dashboard APIs, and log into Citrix, VPN, and servers.
What is most valuable?
I love Duo Security's push notifications. It's simple, fast, and secure. From the user's perspective, the solution is seamless. The security aspect is great.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the product for about two to three years in our company.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I haven't seen any reason to think the solution is unstable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product is very scalable from what I have seen.
How are customer service and support?
The solution's support is pretty good. It helped us quite a bit. Both Meraki and TAC have been pretty helpful.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We switched to Duo Security due to the cybersecurity threats that came with COVID. There was a big one that came against us at one time, but we were able to squash it pretty quickly. The threat was not able to get into the mainframe because of the solution.
How was the initial setup?
The tool's setup was easy and we didn't require too much outside help to set it up.
What was our ROI?
As a network and security guy, security is my return and it has been better with the product's use.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate the solution a nine out of ten. Duo Security can get spotty at the back end but it doesn't break. It would be great if I could use the product to log into the routers or switches in the infrastructure. We already have Active Directory enabled in our routers and switches. However, if we could do two-factor authentication, then it could go a long way since no one's getting into them unless you want them to. We are all for more security in healthcare.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Vendor Business Manager EMEA at Westcon-Comstor
Beneficial viability, good authentication, and reliable
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of Duo Security are visibility and OTP authentication. The OTP is very important because it is a self-enrollment feature, you are able to enroll users very quickly with a shorter time period."
- "Duo Security could improve by being more compatible with other vendors."
What is our primary use case?
Duo Security is multi-factor authentication, specifically a two-factor authentication. It authenticates users so that you can know they're legitimate in the network. It can be used for mobile banking. For example, when you're doing mobile or internet banking with your phone, when it uses OTP, it is using Duo Security.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of Duo Security are visibility and OTP authentication. The OTP is very important because it is a self-enrollment feature, you are able to enroll users very quickly with a shorter time period.
What needs improvement?
Duo Security could improve by being more compatible with other vendors.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Duo Security for many years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is highly reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Duo Security is sized per user. You can even have Duo Security for five users or 3,000 users. It depends on the size of the organization.
The solution is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is of a very high level. If you have a problem they will be able to support you. They are able to log in remotely as an engineer to give assistance. If you have the upgraded license then the support is even better and they will do everything for you if you have a problem. The support is extremely good.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is very easy to do for Duo Security and it can be done with one person in one hour.
What about the implementation team?
We have one person for maintenance of the solution and they do not need a lot of training to be able to do it. There is a manual that can be followed.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licensing is very good because it does not cost a lot of money. It's affordable for all-sized customers, including enterprises. There is an additional cost for premium support.
The license can be purchased monthly, quarterly, half-year, or annual.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others. I have seen it being used in large banks and there has never been a complaint about them. It is a very good solution.
I rate Duo Security an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
CTO at a wellness & fitness company with 10,001+ employees
One-stop application for multiple MFAs that helped us consolidate tools
Pros and Cons
- "Duo Security improved my organization by helping us secure all access points within the company infrastructure."
- "Duo Security could be improved with the addition of more applications."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case for Duo Security is all user access to email.
How has it helped my organization?
Duo Security improved my organization by helping us secure all access points within the company infrastructure.
Duo Security helped our company consolidate tools, including email and VPN.
What is most valuable?
What I find most valuable about Duo Security is that it is our one-stop application for multiple MFAs.
What needs improvement?
Duo Security could be improved with the addition of more applications.
Duo Security has not helped free up our IT department's time.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Duo Security for six months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Duo Security's stability is perfect.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Duo Security's ability to scale is perfect. We have 5,000 people using it in four countries.
How are customer service and support?
I have never used Duo Security's support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We previously used integrated multi-factor security from Microsoft 365 and Fortinet FortiToken. We made the switch to Cisco because we wanted to handle everything in one application.
How was the initial setup?
I was not involved in the initial deployment. I do know however that 10 people were involved in the deployment.
What was our ROI?
We have seen a return on investment because with Duo Security, we do not have to pay for multiple applications. Instead, we pay for one solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The cost of Duo Security licensing is OK.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Good authentication and multi-factor authentication features but technical support is lacking
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable aspect is the authentication and the SSO."
- "Removing the need for a password would be a positive change as well as the ability to cover all the different enterprise applications. They don't have coverage for everything."
What is our primary use case?
I am VP of product in our company and we are a customer of Duo Security.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable aspect is the authentication and the SSO. They also focus on MFA, which is the multi-factor authentication. They are doing this very well.
What needs improvement?
Improving coverage of different solutions and on-premise residents would make a difference. It would help if you could deploy on-premises, and not only with the cloud. Connection with an active directory requires something on-premises and for that, you need to have some kind of client or proxy, or something on-prem but keeping the idea of the users for GDPR and not sending them to the cloud to do it, makes sense.
Removing the need for a password would be a positive change as well as the ability to cover all the different enterprise applications. They don't have coverage for everything.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the product for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is quite stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product is scalable - they are in the cloud so scalability is easier.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support seems to be lacking. It takes a long time for them to come back to the customer. That's what I know, and also what I've heard. They have some issues with support.
They're okay but sometimes they don't respond directly.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward, I think. We deployed it ourselves but sometimes we required help in some places.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Pricing of the product is reasonable.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We checked other options but because of the stability of the product and the length of time it's been on the market, we chose Duo Security. The things you need to weigh up are the size of the company, stability, and price.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this product a six out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

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