Cisco Duo's main use case is with Federal, specifically a version for the government, positioned side-by-side with Okta. Originally, it was implemented with the Department of Defense, which ran the traditional Oracle IAM. Someone convinced them that the Oracle IAM was obsolete, so they decided to reverse engineer the entire system. The migration involved reverse engineering the Oracle IAM into Cisco Duo and Okta, transitioning from on-premises to the cloud while maintaining integration with Oracle Cloud due to their heavy investment in Oracle Cloud for EBS, HCM, and enterprise ERP systems.
Cisco Duo - Advantage Edition
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Strong zero trust security has supported complex federal IAM migrations and multi‑cloud access
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The best features of Cisco Duo include easy integration. I could do a lot of things with Cisco Duo comprehensively. Multiple types of MFA are available, and the fact that it passed the certification with the Department of Defense gave Cisco Duo an A+.
I use Cisco Duo's Advanced Identity Threat Detection and Response feature, which includes all the necessary counterparts. It has the intelligence to detect threats, performs risk assessment, and then provides a score to determine whether someone is legitimately attempting to sign in.
This feature has been helpful because it validates while maintaining trust. The trust but verify design principle is fundamental. Cisco Duo includes the Zero Trust Architecture, where everything lists a privilege, and from there, Privileged Access Management applies. If you want to elevate someone and give them additional privileges, the system handles that process.
What needs improvement?
I have not had the chance to rate Cisco Duo's support because I pass my documentation to the group responsible for creating tickets, as being a contractor, I don't have the account permissions to create tickets myself. I document everything with screenshots and pass it along. Based on what I heard regarding their response, Cisco Duo's support is pretty good. They are responsive and accurate in their responses, and they do their homework. This is one thing I now observe as a stark contrast with Oracle, where the support experience is terrible. You need to create a ticket, and then I have to call back and create another ticket just to monitor the first ticket. With no responses on those two, I had to create a third ticket to monitor the second ticket. I created about 33 tickets on this IAM thing because there was an intermediary, Accenture Federal. I created about 33 tickets just to monitor the previous tickets, and no resolution was given. I came up with my own solution.
I am not involved with Cisco Duo's pricing, so I am the person where they said, 'We bought this product, go ahead and do your magic.'
For how long have I used the solution?
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco Duo is stable and reliable in my opinion. The fact that it goes into production means it goes through the ATO process, where everybody tests it and different groups conduct their own testing. I have not encountered any issues unless we patch the environment. The only downtime I have encountered is during patching, but that is not due to Cisco Duo. That is part of the maintenance standard operating procedure.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Cisco Duo is pretty scalable.
How are customer service and support?
Based on what I heard regarding their response, Cisco Duo's support is pretty good. They are responsive and accurate in their responses, and they do their homework.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
The main differences between Cisco Duo and Okta for IAM solutions are that Okta does not have an exclusive product tagged as Federal. It depends on the person designing it. The way I made Okta comparable with Cisco Duo Federal is by attaching it to CAC, which is used by the military as military ID. That is the only way it becomes federal level because you are using another form of identification. With Cisco Duo, it is embedded within the system. However, somehow, the Department of Defense got sold on the idea that Okta is the way to go. Gradually, Cisco Duo is there because of Cisco. The name Cisco behind it makes it a really powerful product.
What other advice do I have?
I have experience with Cisco Duo across different IGA and IAM security products including Oracle IAM, Okta, SailPoint, Ping, Cisco Duo, Active Directory, and Entra ID, which is Microsoft's offering.
My experience with Cisco Duo's strong security authentication system has been good. It is seamless and easy to integrate. It is flexible.
Cisco Duo's IAM is evolving because it now includes AI. I am not sure if I have fully used OAuth, the authorization component. I think it is there, but I just have not fully played with it. The OAuth, OpenID, and SAML are all present, but this IAM is evolving.
I have not had the chance to use Cisco Duo's conversational AI interface for administration tasks. Everything now is AI-enabled, but the government is very cautious about that. It is a switch that you can turn off and turn on if you want it.
The passwordless environment has been the subject of a huge debate about passwords. I even gave a presentation with the Department of Energy, and they did not like the way I presented it. I made a joke and said, 'With passwords, you need to extract the blood of the person you want to authenticate, aside from the password,' and they did not like that. They said it was too bloody. With passwordless authentication, FIDO 1, 2, and 3 are the direction everything is going. Everything is keys now, anywhere, and tokens. That is why Oracle IAM was dropped from the equation.
Cisco Duo is hybrid. First, they want to see it on-premises, and from there, it evolves because of the way things are deployed. They start with the application, the databases are on-premises, and then the applications are moved to the cloud. That becomes a hybrid situation, and then one by one, the databases are transported to the cloud.
When you work on government projects, everything is there with Cisco Duo. AWS, Azure, GCP, and Oracle FedRAMP are all available. It is multi-cloud.
I would rate this review a 9 overall.
Effortless MFA with User-Friendly Options
What do you like best about the product?
I like how easy Cisco Duo makes it to approve my requests, either by clicking to approve or choosing another route like entering a code. It saves me time from having to type in a code, especially when I'm in an area where I can't receive texts. I can just open the app and approve it using WiFi only, which is super useful when I don't have cell service. Also, the initial setup of Cisco Duo was super easy.
What do you dislike about the product?
I don't like the large green screen that pops up as you approve it; I wish it was smaller.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I use Cisco Duo for MFA. It saves me time by allowing me to approve requests easily without typing a code. The app works with Wi-Fi only, which helps when I'm without cell service.
Strong security controls have met strict financial compliance and simplify multifactor access
What is our primary use case?
I usually work with clients in the financial sector. Many of those clients need to meet certain security requirements that are mandated by their auditor or recommended by their auditor, which is dual multifactor authentication. That is usually the reason why they first look at Cisco Duo, and then I pitch Cisco Duo to those customers for authentication into most of their financial applications as well as VPN access.
It is very commonly used for VPN access.
What is most valuable?
I think seamless login, as well as less administrative overhead in terms of managing users and their login credentials and passwords, and tighter security are valuable.
The main thing is it helps the customers meet their security requirements.
Cisco Duo is very easy to deploy. The documentation is very thorough, which makes deployment straightforward.
What needs improvement?
The only area I could think of is support for more applications. Cisco Duo already covers a wide range of apps, especially the common ones, but there is always room to add more.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have 27 years of experience in this field. I have been using Cisco Duo for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco Duo has excellent stability, as is usual with Cisco products.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I work for a company that is a Cisco Duo reseller, so scalability has not been an issue.
How are customer service and support?
The customer service has been excellent.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have never used a previous solution before Cisco Duo.
How was the initial setup?
What about the implementation team?
Since the company I work for is a Cisco Duo reseller, I did not need an external implementation team.
What was our ROI?
The return on investment is positive and is not a problem.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Compared to other vendors, Cisco Duo is on the pricey end. However, the other vendors do not have the wide range of features that Cisco Duo offers.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
There are no alternate solutions that I can think of.
Great 2FA Experience
What do you like best about the product?
I liked using it for 2FA; it helps keep my authentication secure and protected, and it gives me more confidence when signing in.
What do you dislike about the product?
I think it don't support some vendors as a 2FA
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
It helps keep you safe, even if your authentication password is compromised.
Reliable Two-Factor Authentication with Hassle-Free Cross-Device Use
What do you like best about the product?
I really like how Cisco Duo works very smoothly across devices. It gives me notifications on my phone and while using wearables like my Apple Watch, making it very hassle-free. It's really valuable because I don't need to pull out my phone all the time, especially if I'm in a rush to log in to my computer during classes. The prompt through my Apple Watch is very easy, it's like a split second, and I can just confirm and verify my identity. The setup was very easy, so much so that I don't even remember how it was done. It didn't take me long at all to get it set up.
What do you dislike about the product?
There is nothing that I dislike about Cisco Duo.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Cisco Duo helps me confirm my identity to prevent unauthorized access with reliable two-factor authentication. It works smoothly across devices including my Apple Watch, making verification hassle-free and quick without needing my phone.
Secure access for remote users has strengthened identity control but still needs pricing and IAM depth
What is our primary use case?
Cisco Duo is a cloud-based multi-factor authentication and zero-trust security platform used primarily to verify that users logging in are who they claim to be and that their devices are trusted before access is granted.
What is most valuable?
Cisco Duo's secure access for VPNs and remote users stands out as a valuable feature, as it integrates with Cisco AnyConnect and third-party firewalls and VPN solutions such as Palo Alto, FortiGate, and SonicWall, which is valuable for hybrid and remote work environments.
I use the unified identity intelligence in Cisco Duo to facilitate understanding user behavior, and this understanding helps my organization by providing a consistent and centralized identity for a user across all systems, applications, and other access methods, allowing a single identity for all systems and applications.
I use the end-to-end phishing resistance feature in Cisco Duo, which helps my security posture by securing the entire authentication journey, meaning that phishing attacks fail even if a user is tricked into entering credentials up to the final access.
What needs improvement?
Areas that have room for improvement in Cisco Duo include pricing, as Cisco is quite expensive, and the fact that Cisco Duo relies heavily on external identity providers such as Active Directory or Entra ID and does not offer full identity lifecycle management on its own, which leads organizations to often pair Cisco Duo with another IAM solution for complete identity governance.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Duo for approximately five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Cisco Duo's stability is quite good, and I would rate it an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Cisco Duo is quite scalable, and I would rate it a seven out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
I would rate Cisco support as very good, an eight out of ten, where ten is the best.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Although my company uses only Cisco Duo, I have considered other solutions such as Microsoft Entra ID, which integrates identity provider, MFA, SSO, and conditional access for Microsoft ecosystems, with deep conditional access and risk policies tied to Azure services and Microsoft 365. When comparing Cisco Duo with Okta, Okta includes Universal Directory, advanced SSO, lifecycle automation, and API access management, along with a massive integration ecosystem with thousands of pre-built app integrations, making it ideal for large and diverse enterprises.
What was our ROI?
The return on investment I have seen with Cisco Duo is quite good. Although it is expensive, once established, it proves to be very efficient and helps with authentication significantly, leading me to estimate approximately a fifty percent return on investment.
What other advice do I have?
The increase in phishing attacks is noticeable, as they appear to increase daily. My advice for others looking to implement Cisco Duo is that if they already have an existing solution and want to add something, Cisco Duo would be perfect. If they want to start from scratch, they can consider Okta, and if they have a Microsoft and Azure environment, they can opt for Microsoft. However, if they predominantly work within a Cisco environment, then Cisco Duo would be the best choice. I believe Cisco Duo is worth the investment, offering a good return on investment, as it is expensive but works very well without any downtime or high maintenance, and the support is also good. Approximately 2,300 users in my company use Cisco Duo. Cisco Duo is not entirely local or global, but rather is located in one place. Cisco Duo does not necessarily require any maintenance. Cisco Duo was purchased through the Marketplace rather than directly. I gave this review an overall rating of seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Great experience, safe/secure clean software
What do you like best about the product?
easy to use nice interface. notifications relatively easy to tap on and verify. Like security
What do you dislike about the product?
Nothing really i dislike. Maybe if there was an easier way to open it automatically on my phone when it requires a push.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
It makes verification to log in very safe and secure for me
Strong Security with Effortless User Experience
What do you like best about the product?
I like Cisco Duo for its stronger security and minimal efforts required from users. The MFA options, like being able to authenticate with push, SMS, and all, make it really valuable.
What do you dislike about the product?
I dislike the limited offline options provided
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I use Cisco Duo for MFA, which stops unauthorized access, provides stronger security with minimal effort from users, and offers flexible authentication options like push and SMS.
Keeps Our IT Environment Secure
What do you like best about the product?
It's keeps our system secure especially for it environment
What do you dislike about the product?
I didn't liked it's per user monthly charge plan model
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Keeps our system secure with its 2fa protection which keeps us secure from phishing and cyber attacks
Simple and Effective Protection with Cisco Duo
What do you like best about the product?
What I like most about Cisco Duo is the push feature, which allows me to receive a notification and simply press the approve button, without having to search for and copy a 6-digit code. Additionally, I love that I can use it from my watch, which allows me to approve access without having to take out my phone, saving me from distractions. It is much faster and safer than using slow text messages or searching for passwords in authentication tools.
What do you dislike about the product?
Well, it's that if I don't have my phone on hand, or I ran out of battery, or I don't have my watch on hand, well, my smartwatch, then I'm blocked, and I can't access anything. It would be good to have more backup options that are easy to use without having to contact technical support. The process of changing devices is a bit tedious because you have to go back to and if I don't have the IT administrator, it's necessary. See all those issues, so that's what makes it difficult for me.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I use Cisco Duo to protect my email accounts, VPN, and CRM, ensuring that the information is secure. It helps me authorize logins easily, quickly, and intuitively, avoiding the issues with text messages that don't always arrive.
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