Cisco Duo - Essentials Edition

One year ago, I deployed Cisco Duo  for one of my clients at my previous company because we are a Cisco Gold Partner company. My client wanted to deploy Cisco Duo  on their remote access VPN. They have a Cisco FTD firewall, and mostly users join on weekends through Cisco AnyConnect. My client requested 2FA for these users, so I deployed the solution.

A few months ago, I worked on Upwork where one of my clients approached me and asked if I could install Cisco Duo for their small cybersecurity company. This presented a good opportunity for me because I am in Pakistan, and my client is in the USA.

Cisco Duo is a simple and effective tool that gives detailed information about users who connect to your domain. You can review the logs, including the public IP that the user uses, which country the user is in, and the city where the user is located. Everything is perfect in the logs. One tab shows that a user, for example Hasnain, is connected through remote access VPN and is using a specific public IP from a particular city in a specific country.

Cisco Duo offers a great logging solution in a Cisco environment. Additionally, Cisco Duo integrates easily with single sign-on apps, and I have used it on the Cisco ISE  side because you can add the Cisco Duo address to your ISE and create the same user in both Cisco Duo and Cisco ISE . This makes it easy to manage, as Cisco ISE directly sends requests to Cisco Duo to verify, and the user logs in with a push notification or SMS code.

I am using many features in Cisco Duo, including logging in to Cisco ISE, sending requests when I log in to Cisco FTD through Cisco Duo, and checking 2FA on Cisco AnyConnect. Additionally, I have installed Cisco Duo app on my Windows-based machine, which checks for 2FA notifications every time I reboot the system or press Windows + L. This sends notifications to the cloud to check the username, and it also provides features that ensure the Windows Firewall is always enabled and verify that sensitive data partitions are encrypted. Moreover, it checks that antivirus is properly installed on the system. I also integrate my app within my company and have implemented single sign-on services through Cisco Duo, which is outstanding.

Cisco Duo could improve by considering feedback on features or requests for future releases.

When I worked on Cisco Duo, I encountered a limitation that I want to discuss. When a user logs in on a Windows machine using a Microsoft account, it is easy because you install the installer on your system and generate a code to enroll in Cisco Duo app. However, when I installed the package on the system, the user who was already added on Cisco Duo mobile app faced an issue. When I restarted the system, the screen turned black, and the user got stuck because we could not enter the username and password. After reading Cisco documentation, I learned that they do not support Hotmail addresses. This caused a problem since the user was using a Hotmail account. My client was very understanding about it, but I felt I failed to deploy Cisco Duo effectively. There are limitations because Cisco Duo does not support Hotmail accounts, which many people use to log in to their systems.

The two main limitations on Cisco Duo are first, the requirement to install the installer on my server, and second, that Cisco does not support Hotmail accounts. I regret this limitation due to Cisco not supporting Microsoft accounts.

I have been using Cisco Duo in my career for one year.

Cisco Duo provides scalability and smooth integration with some applications.

I have contacted Cisco customer support, which is highly remarkable. I open cases with Cisco regularly, and they provide prompt support for any case. Although I did not open any cases on Cisco Duo specifically, I have worked with many Cisco devices in my current network. Cisco support is notably above average; few companies match Cisco's technical and customer support capabilities when you are stuck on technical or pricing issues.

Regarding the pricing for Cisco Duo, I find that Cisco is always costly. In my current network, I work in a financial institute where we use 2FA for Fortinet, which is easy to deploy but not scalable. Implementing Cisco Duo is more complicated, but when you integrate the solution fully, Cisco provides a very comfortable experience. The pricing comparison shows a great margin as Cisco is costly, while Fortinet is less expensive.

I use Fortinet, which you can ask me about as an alternative two-factor authentication solution.

If you have any questions, you can ask me. I give this review a rating of 8.5 out of 10.

I have been using Cisco Duo  for one of my customers for three years. I have integrated Cisco Duo  with the on-premises Active Directory and I am using two authentication methods: one is by code and one is through push notifications on Android mobile phones or Apple iPhones. The authentication process is very smooth and secure.

When any request is made to log in for email, the request is integrated with Cisco Duo and asks the user to enter a code via their mobile phone. This is the purpose I am using it for, and it represents a very smooth and secure authentication method.

The method is simple and secure, only thing i want to say about pricing will be reduce for old customers

Cisco Duo has a capability for Duo Push. When it comes to authentication, you get a notification and you just need to approve or reject the request, which allows the process to go smoothly. Although Microsoft Authenticator  also has this function, other authenticators do not.

Pricing is an area that needs improvement because the pricing is high. One of my customers recently received a billing statement for one year charging 3,600 US dollars for 100 users. In my case, it costs me around 300 US dollars monthly for 100 users.

Initial deployment was smooth from an MFA point of view. However, I faced a significant issue about a year back when I tried to integrate Cisco Duo with Citrix NetScaler  and enable MFA for Citrix NetScaler  integration. I encountered a lot of issues during the integration part and was unable to achieve that task due to a lack of documentation at that time. That project was eventually closed.

I am using Cisco Duo for one of my customers for three years.

I have not faced any issues with Cisco Duo so far. It is a very stable product and functions well.

Scalability is good with Cisco Duo.

The support process is very smooth. If I need any support, I can send an email to their support team and they reply on the same day. I normally send emails to billing support and have not needed to send support emails otherwise until now.

I have used AuthLogics MFA as well. I am also using Google Authenticator  and Microsoft Authenticator .

Cisco Duo is a very simple product to understand. I searched for information on Google and integrated it using the guide provided by Cisco Duo during my first implementation. If I need any support, I can send an email to their support team and they reply on the same day. The support process is very smooth and initial deployment is smooth from an MFA point of view.

Pricing needs improvement because it is high. One of my customers recently received a billing statement charging 3,600 US dollars for 100 users for one year. In my case, it costs me around 300 US dollars monthly for 100 users.

I have used AuthLogics MFA as well. I am also using Google Authenticator  and Microsoft Authenticator.

My clients are requesting MFA on their emails, third-party emails they are using for HTTPS, for cloud emails or cloud logins with different applications. I recommend Cisco Duo to them because the process is very smooth with Cisco Duo. I give Cisco Duo a rating of 10.

I received information from Mohammed, a technician from Tech Skill or a technician site on LinkedIn, who told me he would discuss Cisco Duo  connections for technician skills.

They scheduled a meeting and planned to talk with me over Cisco Duo . I was uncertain if I was in the right place.

The main purpose involves addressing questions about SLA tickets. I add persons to security groups and grant access for VPN connections and authentications to add them to the portal, synchronizing them with the Microsoft Azure  AD platform and logging cell phone numbers and phone numbers. I also provide access for SSO  or mobile tokens, whether hardware or software, and access for Cisco Duo software on cell phones.

I use the web portal for Cisco Duo and the software on my site for self sign-in to the portal. I primarily use the platform for authentications, adding users to groups, and other management tasks. I can block someone or remove them from security groups when an employee leaves the firm or when other security issues occur.

I particularly check where someone is logging in and from which country. I verify if they are under contract to stay in a safe place, such as Germany or Frankfurt. If a person logs in from another country or place, I investigate. From a security perspective, I work with other platforms and coordinate with employees in different departments. I do not focus on security steps themselves. I sometimes examine sign-ins, checking time differences, locations, and IPs in short timeframes. This does relate to security, but I use this method only when questions arise.

The general usability and visual interface are valuable to me. It is not significantly different from other tools, but it is usable. It is suitable for a technical person who has an understanding of these tools or software and finds it usable and understandable.

It provides the possibility to get employees directly started with their jobs or schooling for new projects. For this, what is important is the time between registration and account access and whether there is a general problem or minor questions about the main reason. However, there are no strong problems.

An AI tool or AI capability would be better. An AI support robot or bot that provides direct answers to questions without requiring the search for facts or documents to find solutions would be an improvement.

I have been using this solution for two years full-time, working for a global company across all regions.

Although I have not received direct technical support for Cisco Duo, I would rate it eight or nine. Working with this web portal and technical software capability, I have never experienced significant connection loss or other major issues.

My company operates globally with approximately 450,000 employees. Within the projects I manage, there are 10,000 employees, and in another MET region, there are over 15,000. We are a partner with most brands that are usable globally and provide them access to the projects.

Although I have not received direct technical support for Cisco Duo, I would rate it eight or nine. Working with this web portal and technical software capability, I have never experienced significant connection loss or other major issues.

Cisco Duo is my first app or web-based platform. I have never had experience with another brand and cannot compare Cisco Duo to other brands or firms that provide VPN connections or secure connections.

It is easy.

We have access to our portal where I work. They provide access with limited admin rights. We use only the Concentrix  portal, which is the company portal.

I have no idea about the pricing. Another department handles this. I am only able to use it for accessing and other functions, but I cannot say this is a different or difficult platform for someone to use because the documents are available. When someone has a problem, they can search the documents and find solutions for simple steps.

I can recommend Cisco Duo because it is very easy to accept and understand. In the two to two and a half years I have used it, I have never experienced a problem. We do not lose connection or encounter other issues, which is the main reason I can offer this recommendation. I would rate this solution nine out of ten.

I use Cisco Duo  for multi-factor authentication, remote access, and remote access authentication. I use Cisco Duo  primarily for the multi-factor authenticator for remote access.

Cisco Duo is beneficial for me in terms of security.

I don't have much detail about the integration of comprehensive identity security into the Duo IAM  solution, but my complaint is that it's not as seamless as a product like Zscaler for remote access. It's not as seamless.

It's difficult for me to summarize the room for improvement as I'm on the enterprise network side, not really security. My response will be based on user experience, not detailed technical aspects of the network with respect to security. I use ZIA  and Zscaler for remote access connection, and Zscaler is seamless. I don't need to do anything; it does the identification of my system. As far as my system is issued by the company, I don't need to do any multi-layer authentication. It authenticates seamlessly. With Cisco Duo, you have to do that, and customers complain about that process. At some point, you need to be technically savvy to understand how to use Cisco Duo.

I have been using Cisco Duo for two or three years.

I've heard customers complain about latency in network usage.

Cisco Duo is very scalable.

I would rate the technical support of the product as a nine out of ten.

The deployment and installation process for Cisco Duo is quite straightforward, which is an advantage.

I do not track any ROI or return on investment.

I think Cisco Duo is quite affordable; it's not really so expensive.

The major difference between Zscaler and Cisco is that for Zscaler, there's a component called ZIA  that has a Zero Trust aspect. The identity comes with the system issued, so you don't need any multi-factor authenticator per se. Your identity is matched back end to know that you are the one, and you don't need to do another level of multi-factor authentication, which users complain of being cumbersome.

I use ZIA and Zscaler for remote access connection, and Zscaler is seamless.

I am still working with Cisco products, and I still have the same portfolio. I don't work with the Cisco Secure Access  product as I'm more focused on the enterprise infrastructure of routers, switches, SD-WAN, and data center. However, it's part of what I do, though not much of a call with respect to security, but it's something I'm interested in. I need to know what it does and if I can propose it to my clients.

I know Cisco Duo and have used it. It's not really a feature I handle regarding Cisco Duo's unified identity intelligence facilitating the understanding of user behavior. The security team handles that, and I don't have much visibility; it's purely transparent to me. However, I've heard them talk about it, and it really helps them to understand user behavior, mobility, and what they do on the network.

I would rate this review an overall eight out of ten.