What Duo Security does

Duo Security, operating as Cisco Duo since its 2018 acquisition by Cisco Systems for approximately $2.35 billion, is an identity security and multi-factor authentication (MFA) vendor headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company provides a cloud-based Identity and Access Management (IAM) platform spanning multi-factor authentication, single sign-on (SSO), passwordless authentication via FIDO2/WebAuthn, device trust, identity threat detection and response (ITDR), and identity security posture management (ISPM). The platform processes approximately 1.3 billion monthly authentications, integrates with thousands of applications through SAML, OIDC, RADIUS, and LDAP, and is delivered alongside supporting infrastructure including the Duo Mobile app for iOS and Android, Duo Desktop for macOS, Windows, and Linux, and on-premises integration software such as the Duo Authentication Proxy and Duo for AD FS.

The product portfolio is organized into three pillars: Identity and Access Management (Duo Directory, MFA, SSO), Phishing-Resistant MFA (Passwordless, Duo Passport, Device Trust), and Identity Intelligence (Cisco Identity Intelligence, ITDR, ISPM). The platform also supports emerging use cases such as Agentic IAM for governing AI agents and automated workflows. Differentiation rests on phishing-resistant authentication methods including Proximity Verification over Bluetooth, passwordless support for platform authenticators (Touch ID, Face ID, Windows Hello), and continuous device health checks.

Duo operates a hybrid go-to-market combining product-led growth through a free tier for teams of 10 or less and self-serve signup, enterprise field sales for large organizations, and Managed Service Provider channel partners for the mid-market. Pricing is a tiered per-user monthly subscription at $3 for Essentials, $6 for Advantage, and $9 for Premier, with custom enterprise pricing available. The company serves SMB and enterprise customers across government, higher education, K-12, finance, legal, retail, technology, healthcare, and MSP verticals, with named enterprise customers including Lyft, Room & Board, and AmeriGas, and is recognized as a Gartner Peer Insights Customers' Choice for Access Management.

Name

Duo Security

Legal name

Duo Security LLC

Website

https://www.duo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Cisco Duo is a cloud-based identity security and multi-factor authentication platform serving SMB, enterprise, government, healthcare, finance, and education customers with MFA, SSO, passwordless authentication, device trust, and identity threat detection capabilities, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems since 2018.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Identity and Access Management

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Authentication (MFA/Passwordless/Biometrics) Platforms (BPAMAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Identity & Access for Workforce (IAM/SSO/MFA, Conditional Access) (BPAEAIAH), Cloud Identity & Access Management Infrastructure (IAM/IdP/MFA) (HDABAHAF), Single Sign-On (SSO) & Federation (SAML/OIDC, Identity Providers) (HDAEAJAB), Identity & Access Security Services (IAM, PAM, Zero Trust) (BPAKAHAI)

Keywords

• Multi-factor authentication
• Identity access management
• Single sign-on
• Passwordless authentication
• Zero trust security

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Subscription Licensing (Per User): Duo operates on a subscription model with per-user monthly pricing tiers (Essentials, Advantage, Premier). Organizations pay based on the number of users requiring authentication, with tiered features and capabilities. Pricing ranges from $3 to $9 per user per month depending on the edition selected.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Duo Security provides a cloud-based Identity and Access Management (IAM) platform that delivers multi-factor authentication (MFA), single sign-on (SSO), passwordless authentication, device trust, and identity threat detection for organizations of all sizes. The platform is sold primarily as a per-user subscription to businesses (SMB, enterprise, government, education, healthcare, financial, and other verticals) to secure workforce and contractor access to applications and data.

Product overview

Duo Security, a Cisco company, offers a comprehensive identity security and multi-factor authentication platform organized into four core capability pillars: Identity and Access Management (Duo Directory, MFA, SSO), Phishing-Resistant MFA (Passwordless, Duo Passport), Device Trust, and Identity Intelligence (Cisco Identity Intelligence, ITDR, ISPM). The platform operates on a tiered pricing model with Essentials ($3/user/month), Advantage ($6/user/month), and Premier ($9/user/month) editions. Supporting infrastructure includes the Duo Mobile app, Duo Desktop application, and various integration components like the Authentication Proxy, Access Gateway, and AD FS integration. The platform handles over 1.3 billion monthly authentications and is recognized as a Gartner Peer Insights Customers' Choice for Access Management in 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Duo Directory A directory service that serves as the identity foundation for Duo's full IAM solution, allowing organizations to manage user identities and access controls centrally.
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Requires two or more forms of authentication (something you know plus something you have) to verify user identity at login, protecting against phishing, password hacks, and stolen credentials.
• Single Sign-On (SSO) Enables users to authenticate once and access multiple applications without re-entering credentials, streamlining user experience while maintaining security.
• Passwordless Eliminates passwords using phishing-resistant authentication methods such as FIDO2 security keys, biometrics, and platform authenticators for seamless, secure login.
• Duo Passport Extends phishing-resistant authentication capabilities to enable secure access for external users, contractors, and federated identity scenarios.
• Device Trust Verifies device health and compliance before granting access, ensuring only trusted and properly configured devices can connect to corporate resources.
• Cisco Identity Intelligence Provides unified identity intelligence capabilities that help organizations understand who is logging in, identify risky behavior, and take proactive security actions.
• Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) Detects and responds to identity-based threats in real-time, protecting against credential-based attacks and unauthorized access attempts.
• Identity Security Posture Management (ISPM) Continuously monitors and assesses identity security posture, identifying vulnerabilities and recommending remediation actions to strengthen overall security.
• Adaptive Access Policies Allows administrators to set dynamic access policies based on user context, device health, and risk factors to provide appropriate security levels.
• Remote Access Enables secure remote access to corporate applications and resources, supporting distributed workforces with phishing-resistant authentication.
• Duo Mobile A free mobile app for iOS and Android that enables Duo Push authentication, passcode generation, account backup/restore, and supports biometric authentication methods for secure login.
• Duo Desktop Desktop application for macOS, Windows, and Linux that performs device health checks and can serve as an authentication method, ensuring devices meet organizational security requirements.
• Duo Authentication Proxy On-premises software that integrates with RADIUS and LDAP applications to add Duo two-factor authentication, supporting Windows and Linux platforms.
• Duo Access Gateway Web-based single sign-on solution that integrates with on-premises Active Directory and cloud applications.
• Duo for Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) Adds two-factor authentication to Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services deployments.

Quantifiable outcome

• $500k annual IT savings from reduced helpdesk costs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature16 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• YubicocoreTechnology or IntegrationDuo integrates with Yubico security keys for FIDO2/WebAuthn authentication. YubiKeys serve as roaming authenticators that users can register and use to authenticate to Duo-protected applications.
• Apple (iCloud)coreTechnology or IntegrationDuo Mobile leverages Apple iCloud and iCloud Keychain for backup and restore functionality on iOS devices, enabling users to recover their authentication accounts when switching devices.
• Google (Google Drive)coreTechnology or IntegrationDuo Mobile uses Google Drive for backup and restore functionality on Android devices, allowing users to backup their authentication accounts and restore them to new devices.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Okta: Workforce and customer identity platform offering SSO, MFA, lifecycle management, and adaptive access. Duo's closest direct competitor in the enterprise workforce IAM space.
• Ping Identity: Enterprise identity platform providing SSO, MFA, and identity governance. Direct competitor to Duo, particularly in regulated industries and large enterprises with hybrid IT.
• CyberArk: Identity security vendor focused on privileged access management (PAM) and workforce identity. Increasingly overlapping with Duo's ITDR and identity intelligence roadmap.
• JumpCloud: Cloud directory and MFA/SSO platform focused on SMB and mid-market. Competes with Duo Free and Essentials editions as a unified identity + device management alternative.
• Auth0: Customer identity and authentication platform (now part of Okta). Overlaps with Duo's SSO/MFA capabilities on the customer identity side of the market.
• RSA Security: Legacy enterprise IAM and MFA vendor with SecurID tokens. Competes with Duo in large enterprise and government identity deployments.
• OneLogin: Workforce SSO and MFA platform. Competes with Duo in mid-market and enterprise workforce identity, particularly in SaaS-heavy environments.

Broad incumbents

• Microsoft Entra ID: Microsoft's cloud identity service (formerly Azure AD), bundling SSO, MFA, and conditional access into Microsoft 365 and Azure. The largest incumbent competing with Duo in enterprise identity.
• AWS IAM Identity Center: AWS's workforce identity and SSO service, bundling MFA and SSO with broader AWS infrastructure. Competes with Duo in AWS-centric enterprise and cloud-native deployments.

Emerging players

• BeyondTrust: PAM and secure remote access vendor. Adjacent competitor in identity-centric zero trust, with overlap on privileged access and device trust use cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/duosecurity
• Xx.com/duosec
• Facebookfacebook.com/duosec

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors14 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Duo Security