Stronger authentication has improved secure remote access and reduced password support issues
What is our primary use case?
I have been using Cisco Duo for around two to three years, mainly in my work related to networking and security operations.
My main use case for Cisco Duo is multi-factor authentication and secure access management. Day-to-day, I use it to securely log into company VPNs, internal dashboards, and cloud applications. For example, when accessing network devices or remote systems, it sends a push notification to my phone for verification before granting access.
What is most valuable?
The best features of Cisco Duo are multi-factor authentication, single sign-in, passwordless authentication, device trust, and risk-based authentication. It adds extra checks based on the risk of location.
Risk-based authentication and device trust help us reduce security risk without slowing users down. Risk-based authentication flags unusual logins and adds extra verification only when needed. It ensures only compliant and secure devices can access internal systems. Overall, it improves security while keeping normal logins fast and seamless.
Cisco Duo has improved our security posture significantly by reducing unauthorized access attempts. We have also seen faster and more consistent security logins, fewer password-related issues, and less dependency on IT for access problems. Overall, it made remote access more secure and efficient.
Cisco Duo has helped mainly in IT support efficiency and authentication overhead. We have seen fewer password reset requests and account lockout issues, which reduces help desk workload. It also saves time in security operations because access decisions are automated through MFA and policy rules instead of manual checks.
What needs improvement?
A few areas of improvement for Cisco Duo are device re-enrollment could be simpler when users change phones, faster troubleshooting tools for login issues, and push notifications could be more reliable in low network situations.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working in my current field for almost three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Cisco Duo's scalability is pretty good. There is a clear positive ROI, mainly in productivity and support cost savings. We saw fewer password reset tickets with a reduced IT workload.
How are customer service and support?
Customer support is generally good but can be inconsistent depending on the issue and support tier, with slow responses for complex and escalated cases. The experience is variable depending on the support engineer. Overall, support is generally reliable and helpful for setup and day-to-day issues.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, we mainly relied on password-only authentication, basic Active Directory logins, and some simple OTP-based tools.
How was the initial setup?
If Cisco Duo were removed, the biggest impact would be a significant drop in security and an increase in login risk.
What about the implementation team?
I am not directly involved with that, but setup was fairly smooth with minimal upfront cost, and licensing scaled based on user count, so it must be cost-effective.
What was our ROI?
There is a clear ROI, mostly in time savings and reduced support effort, even if it is not always tracked as a single dollar figure. We have seen fewer help desk tickets, faster login rates, and reduced security incidents.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated a few MFA solutions before choosing Cisco Duo, including Microsoft Authenticator, Entra ID MFA, and Okta Verify.
What other advice do I have?
The biggest impact has been a stronger security posture with simpler user access. We have reduced unauthorized risk through MFA and device checks while keeping logins fast and consistent for users. It also improved operational efficiency by cutting down password-related support tickets and reducing manual access issues for IT.
We have strengthened phishing resistance mainly through MFA enforcement, conditional access policies, and user awareness training. Cisco Duo helps us by requiring multi-factor authentication for every login. So even if credentials are stolen, access is blocked without the second factor. We also use its device verification and risk-based prompts to stop suspicious login attempts early.
It has improved noticeably. With Cisco Duo, we can detect suspicious logins faster through risk-based alerts. Compromised credentials are less effective because MFA blocks access even if passwords are stolen. It has also improved response time since admins can quickly deny access or review login activity in real-time.
I would rate this review a 9 out of 10.
Simple, Secure Logins with Cisco Duo’s Fast Mobile Push Authentication
What do you like best about the product?
What I like most about Cisco Duo is how it strengthens our login process. We use Cisco Duo for authentication for our company portal. It provides a six-digit code that you need to enter, and only then are you able to successfully log in to the company portal, AWS, and GitLab.
What do you dislike about the product?
One thing I dislike about Cisco Duo is that push notifications can sometimes arrive late, especially when my internet connection is slow.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Cisco Duo helps us secure company applications and VPN access through multi-factor authentication. It provides strong security while still making authentication easy for our applications. It solves authentication issues smoothly and enables secure access to applications without unnecessary hassle.
Stronger authentication has protected accounts and simplifies daily access management
What is our primary use case?
My use cases for Cisco Duo include it being a more robust, easier to manage MFA solution than most.
What is most valuable?
What I like the most about Cisco Duo is the ease of use; the visual design with checkmarks and green checkmarks paired with red X marks is the best feature ever.
What needs improvement?
What I dislike about Cisco Duo is that anything that Cisco Duo lacks, we can do through Microsoft, which is a workaround because we're integrated with Microsoft, and that was the first thing I did. If anything ever has a problem connecting to Cisco Duo, I just connect to Microsoft, which then connects to Cisco Duo, so that resolved most of my issues.
The other problem I had is now fixed. Cisco Duo did not integrate with Cisco Meraki products, but now you do. I was not updated about that integration, and it would have been nice to receive an email about it. However, I sometimes receive a high volume of emails from various sources, so being informed of that update was not very clear to me. I'm not sure when that happened; I just noticed it on my own. It was a very welcome change and it would have been nice to receive clear communication about the new feature. If updates happen all the time, it becomes difficult to pay attention to them. There are some vendors that send too many updates. I cannot go through all of them, and honestly, I cannot remember off the top of my head if Cisco Duo is one of those vendors or not because it is a very common issue.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Cisco Duo in my career overall for three to four years or more.
How was the initial setup?
The initial deployment for Cisco Duo was not a problem at all. Most of the work involves having a good antivirus or spam filter; you just have to fine-tune the settings to where you want them to be, and that just takes time and knowledge on what preferences you prefer. It was actually really nice and easy.
We had an issue where our people were getting locked out of their accounts because somebody was trying to log in as them. We used Microsoft's MFA, and it stopped them from getting in but still locked the account, which was inadequate. Cisco Duo stopped that from happening, and that was awesome.
What other advice do I have?
I think the pricing of Cisco Duo is great; it's good enough that I do not think about it, and I do not look at other options. We tested out Microsoft's MFA before we tried Cisco Duo, and it failed on day one; it would not work and did not work for what our use case was at all, while Cisco Duo worked on day one, which was the best thing ever. I never had issues with Cisco Duo.
It was a bit of a pain when Cisco Duo had the proxy service that you had to have, and then you got rid of that, so you fixed that issue right away. Cisco Duo just works; that is the best feature. I would rate this solution highly based on my overall positive experience with the product and its performance.
Strong authentication has secured remote access but reporting and mobile options still need work
What is our primary use case?
The primary use cases for Cisco Duo include two-factor authentication from the internet and SSL VPN integration with Cisco Duo.
What is most valuable?
My experience with Cisco Duo's strong security authentication system has been good; it performs very well when logging in.
I have not used Cisco Duo's conversational AI interface for admin tasks.
My impression of Cisco's Identity Intelligence capability to detect and respond to identity-based risks is that it is good, but the problem is that their reporting is not good compared to Palo Alto and Fortinet; the reporting would be a struggle.
I do not utilize the Advanced Identity Threat Detection and Response feature because we have Cisco IPS, so we are using that instead.
What needs improvement?
Cisco Duo could be improved by making it available on Microsoft Azure.
I would rate Cisco Duo seven out of ten because of the issues I have already mentioned. The Cisco firewall is a bit slow, and I am uncertain whether they have a mobile pass feature in Cisco Duo.
I think a mobile pass feature should be an alternative option nowadays in case there are any issues in the telecom sector.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with the product for more than two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
There are no new features or functionalities in Cisco Duo that my organization has started using recently. We have two-factor authentication with FTD, and as I mentioned, we are moving to the cloud, so we will deploy Cisco Duo on the cloud for our cloud-hosted applications.
How are customer service and support?
I do not think Cisco Duo is the best option on the market thus far.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I think the pricing of Cisco Duo is acceptable; we know how to reduce the cost.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
The choice depends on how the data centers are moving. If they are completely moved to the cloud, then we will use Microsoft.
What other advice do I have?
I have experience with Cisco Duo. I have been quite satisfied with Cisco Duo. The implementation of Cisco Duo is straightforward. I am a customer of Cisco. I would rate this product seven out of ten overall.
Efficient MFA with Room for Improvement
What do you like best about the product?
I appreciate Cisco Duo's efficient technical support, which helps solve all technical challenges I encounter. The Trusted endpoints feature is valuable for preventing non-work devices from connecting to our environment, enhancing security. The push authentication is lightweight and easy to accept, offering security with a level of convenience. Additionally, the initial setup of Cisco Duo was very easy.
What do you dislike about the product?
It lacks full integration with critical components of Microsoft RD Web Solution, which would enable us to verify users using a passcode for users who don't have the Duo MFA app. Cisco needs to ensure that there is support for critical Microsoft remote connection implementation as it is widely used.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Cisco Duo adds a second layer of authentication, reducing password compromise risks. It protects remote access and helps block unauthorized devices. It solves issues like phishing, credential theft, and weak passwords while offering convenience through push authentication.
Easy, Secure Account Protection with Duo
What do you like best about the product?
Duo makes it easy for me to keep my school accounts safe and secure.
What do you dislike about the product?
I haven’t had any issues with Duo. It’s easy to use, and I like that I can have it on my phone as well.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Duo helps keep my information and account safe, and it’s easy to use.
Effortless Security and Identity Verification
What do you like best about the product?
I find Cisco Duo extremely easy to use, especially the phone-based application that allows me to quickly and easily verify my identity, ensuring that my privacy and organization security is always a top priority. It enhances security greatly by verifying my identity on the same platform or computer, or across several computers or devices. Our MIS department made the initial setup extremely easy.
What do you dislike about the product?
I have no dislikes about Cisco Duo.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
I use Cisco Duo to verify my identity across various apps, enhancing security greatly. It's extremely easy to use, especially the phone app, making identity verification quick and ensuring my privacy and security are top priorities.
Easy, Intuitive 2FA Across Multiple Platforms for Business and Personal Use
What do you like best about the product?
Great app for enabling 2FA across multiple platforms, both for business and personal use. It’s easy to use and intuitive to navigate, so getting set up and finding what you need feels straightforward.
What do you dislike about the product?
So far, I haven’t experienced anything negative.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Security across all websites is a major concern. Duo has allowed me to consolidate my 2FA passkeys for multiple sites into one app, so I don’t need to juggle several different apps for different websites. Because Duo integrates with so many sites, it’s easy to use and feels very adaptable to my needs.
Strong Device Visibility and Access Control, but Offline Codes Can Be Cumbersome
What do you like best about the product?
What I like best about Cisco Duo is the visibility it gives us into user devices and how easy it is to control which devices can access our systems. That added layer of device awareness helps us enforce stronger access policies and gives us more confidence that only trusted devices are being used. It is especially helpful from a security perspective because it makes it easier to manage access without creating too much friction for users.
What do you dislike about the product?
What I dislike most about Cisco Duo is that administering offline codes for server access can be frustrating, especially in environments where reliable fallback access is important. While the platform works well overall, some administrative tasks can feel more cumbersome than they should be. There is also a learning curve when configuring more detailed access policies.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
Cisco Duo helps us secure remote access by integrating well with our remote access solution and giving us better visibility into where people are connecting from. Before that, we had less insight into access activity and fewer controls around remote logins. Now we can apply stronger authentication, see more clearly where access attempts are coming from, and make better decisions about who should be allowed in. That improves security, reduces access risk, and gives us more confidence in our remote access process.
Easy to use 2FA solution
What do you like best about the product?
Easy to deploy, easy to use, and fantastic tech support.
What do you dislike about the product?
Haven't really found anything I don't like about it. If I had to come up with one negative it would be cost, but even then, it's just not that expensive in the overall scheme of things.
What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?
2FA has become a requirement for HB96 and DUO completes that requirement.