cisco-secure-access-duo-vs-hid-digitalpersona

Cisco Multi-Factor Authentication (formerly Duo Security) and HID DigitalPersona are both authentication tools. Both products feature single sign-on and remote access authentication. However, Cisco provides more device visibility, while HID DigitalPersona specializes in user-based authentication. They are both used heavily by midsized companies and enterprises

Features

Cisco Multi-Factor Authentication and HID DigitalPersona both provide standout features for their target user bases.

Cisco Multi-Factor Authentication is highlighted by reviewers for it’s wide range of integrations across platforms and applications. This wide functionality adds value for large organizations with a high volume of applications and networks that require access management. Cisco’s user and administrator interface is also a high point for many users. 

HID DigitalPersona stands out for its spectrum of multifactor authentication mechanisms. This notably includes biometric authentication, such as fingerprint identification. It also provides a deep integration with Microsfoft’s Active Directory environment, allowing for easy centralization of user identification and password management. 

Limitations

While both products have strong features, they also have some limitations. 

Cisco’s Multi-Factor Authentication has struggled with its mobile device support. Users and administrators have both experienced issues managing the mobile functionality. In particular, notifications have been known to lag significantly behind when the authentication request was initially sent. 

HID DigitalPersona’s user-based authentication lags in device recognition capabilities. Most of DigitalPersona’s MFA options revolve around user identifiers, and are agnostic to the devices used. Some users have also struggled to resolve issues they experience via HID’s post-purchase support. 

Pricing

Cisco MFA’s pricing varies by package. The Duo Security site, which was acquired by Cisco and converted to MFA, provides 4 pricing plans. The tool is free for up to 10 users, providing MFA for mobile devices and tokens. The next pricing tiers are Duo MFA, which provides more management tools at $3 per user per month, Duo Access ($6/user/month for additional visibility and policy enforcement), and Duo Beyond ($9/user/month for additional device identification and network gateways).

HID DigitalPersona is priced separately for the software and the hardware for biometric authentication. The hardware can range from $50-100 per reader, and the software’s pricing is available by quote from the vendor.