cisco duo

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

What is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)? MFA is a security access management solution that verifies a user's identity at login with two or more verification factors. By providing a layer of protection to a user or company’s data, MFA helps to prevent malware, phishing, and ransomware attacks. With Cisco Duo, MFA is easier than ever to integrate, implement, and use.

Frustrate Attackers, Not Users

We're the easiest MFA solution for users and administrators. Duo Mobile and Verified Duo Push are just two examples of the convenient, user-friendly MFA methods that we support. All a user has to do is download the Duo Push application onto their smartphone and voila: they’re ready to authenticate!

Scale MFA as You Grow

Because Duo functions like a gateway for your existing and future IT infrastructure, it’s the perfect solution for growing businesses of any size. Set up new users and support new devices at any time, and protect new applications almost instantly — without impacting legacy technology.

Get Adaptive Authentication

Duo's adaptive authentication is an advanced type of MFA that lets you create custom access policies based on contextual factors like role, application, geographic location, network, and device health.

Build a Foundation for Passwordless

Duo Passwordless Authentication builds on MFA to verify user identity with login tools like biometrics, security keys, and the Duo Push mobile app. Users only have to verify once in a timeframe set by administrators, making it simpler than ever to log on securely.

Expand Your Coverage

Duo natively integrates to secure any application or platform, so whether you're adding two-factor authentication (2FA) to meet compliance goals or building a full zero trust framework, Duo is the perfect addition to your security portfolio with tools like:

Multi-cloud, hybrid, or on-premises environments
Software as a service (SaaS) tools, critical infrastructure, custom applications, even secure shell (SSH)
Secure remote access and VPN clients, bring your own device (BYOD), and even offline devices

Device Trust

Identify risky devices, enforce contextual access policies, and report on device health using an agentless approach or by integrating with your device management tools.

Healthy Devices Reduce Security Risk

You can't protect what you can't see. Gaining visibility into devices is the first step in establishing device trust, and it’s an essential aspect of a strong zero trust strategy. Duo provides visibility into every single device on your network and enforces health checks at every single login attempt.

Complete Device Visibility

Verify device health before granting access, to prevent exposing your applications to potential risk. Duo provides detailed information about both corporate and unmanaged devices, so you can easily spot security risks like out-of-date or jailbroken devices.

Easy Reporting and Policy Management

Duo helps you spot potential risks so you can meet compliance and adjust your access parameters for any situation. With powerful reporting capabilities and an admin-friendly dashboard, Duo makes it easy to monitor your security policies and spot anomalous login activity.

Advanced Security for BYOD

Secure access to the applications your users need, on the devices they want to use, from anywhere in the world. Full-time employees, short-term contractors and vendors alike can all get up and running with Duo quickly and easily, and granular access controls give them right role-specific permissions. The Duo Mobile authentication app and Duo's Device Health check the hygiene of your users' mobile and desktop devices at every login, to make sure they always comply with your security standards.

Adaptive Access Policies

Get granular about who can access what and when. Duo lets you create custom access policies based on role, device, location, and many other contextual factors.

Granular Security at the Flip of a Switch

A true zero-trust strategy changes the level of access or trust based on contextual data about the user or device requesting access. It also limits access to only users that really need it. With Duo, you can set up detailed policies in minutes via a simple, intuitive administrator dashboard, and manage rules globally or for specific applications or user groups.

Verify Trusted Users

Every user has a different use case for access to your applications, and Duo handles them all with ease. Detect user location, device, role, and more at every login, set security policies based on these attributes, check for anomalous access, and continuously monitor policy efficacy — all without interrupting your users' daily workflows.

Secure Access Based on Device Trust

Protect against potentially compromised or risky devices accessing your applications and data. Apply security policy across every device — managed or unmanaged. Duo lets you define permissions based on OS and individual device settings, and automatically notify (or even block) users when their software is out of date.

Implement Policies by Application

Take a big step toward zero trust by making sure the right people have access to the right tools. Duo's application-specific controls make it easy to onboard contract employees, change access permissions, protect high-value information with stringent security policies, and more.

Dynamically Respond to Risk

Duo’s Risk-Based Authentication solution evaluates potential threat signals at each login attempt and adjusts security requirements, in real time, to protect trusted users and frustrate attackers.