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Cisco Duo vs Symantec Advanced Authentication comparison

Cisco and Broadcom are both solutions in the Authentication Systems category. Cisco is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.5, while Broadcom is ranked #17 with an average rating of 7.0. Cisco holds a 9.2% mindshare in AS, compared to Broadcom’s 0.6% mindshare. Additionally, 95% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 77% of Broadcom users who would recommend it.
Cisco Duo
Read 74 Cisco Duo reviews
  • 6,878 Views
  • 5,571 Comparison Views
95% willing to recommend
Symantec Advanced Authentic...
Read 9 Symantec Advanced Authentication reviews
  • 351 Views
  • 337 Comparison Views
77% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 15, 2025

Symantec Advanced Authentication and Cisco Duo are both utilized for secure access and authentication management. Users are happier with the feature set and integration capabilities of Cisco Duo, though Symantec Advanced Authentication scores better in deployment and customer service.

What features are offered by Symantec Advanced Authentication in comparison to Cisco Duo?

Symantec Advanced Authentication provides a robust set of features tailored for enterprise-level secure access, including flexibility, customization, and high-security controls. Cisco Duo is noted for its ease of use, wide range of integration capabilities, and comprehensive features that cater to various business sizes, making it more appealing to users.

What areas of improvement can be found in Symantec Advanced Authentication in comparison to Cisco Duo?

Symantec Advanced Authentication users frequently mention the product's complexity, steep learning curve, and need for better user interface design. Cisco Duo reviews highlight the pricing structure, limited customer support responsiveness, and areas for improved reporting capabilities.

How is the ease of deployment and customer service of Symantec Advanced Authentication in comparison to Cisco Duo?

Symantec Advanced Authentication requires a more intricate setup process but benefits from excellent customer service support throughout deployment. Cisco Duo is praised for its swift and hassle-free deployment but receives mixed reviews regarding customer service responsiveness.

What setup costs and ROI can be seen with Symantec Advanced Authentication in comparison to Cisco Duo?

Symantec Advanced Authentication users mention higher setup costs but recognize its ROI through high security and functionality for complex needs. Cisco Duo, while noted to have more competitive initial pricing, demonstrates strong ROI through its user-friendly interface and efficiency, making it worthwhile despite a few concerns over its tiered pricing model.

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To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Duo vs. Symantec Advanced Authentication Report (Updated: July 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Duo vs. Symantec Advanced Authentication
July 2025
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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Cisco Duo
Ranking in Authentication Systems
2nd
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.9
Number of Reviews
74
Ranking in other categories
Single Sign-On (SSO) (4th), ZTNA as a Service (6th), Cisco Security Portfolio (4th), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) (2nd)
Symantec Advanced Authentic...
Ranking in Authentication Systems
17th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
8.7
Number of Reviews
9
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Authentication Systems category, the mindshare of Cisco Duo is 9.2%, down from 11.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Symantec Advanced Authentication is 0.6%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Authentication Systems
 

Featured Reviews

Thomas Botts - PeerSpot reviewer
Managing security policies effectively with seamless authentication
The feature of Cisco Duo that I prefer the most is the policies, being able to control what we need to within the policies. You can get pretty granular. There isn't a lot of training that goes on in school districts. Email is an easy way where many people give out their credentials, so the level of protection is something that we definitely need in a school district. Cisco Duo's strong security authentication system has been easy when logging in, although the teachers don't appreciate it as much. We have it configured so users essentially just hit accept. If it sees any sort of built-in risk, then it steps up authentication. It's pretty easy. I appreciate it. I've encountered advantages with Cisco Duo in that it has stopped significant pushback from teachers. It has prevented credential sharing and unauthorized access. We've seen a huge decrease since we've rolled it out across the entire district.
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Umair (Abu Mohaymin) Akhlaque - PeerSpot reviewer
Ensures robust security features and ease of deployment, although it may lack some of the more modern authentication options
There has been a need for aggressive development to modernize the product and align it with contemporary security requirements. While the rebranding has been a step forward, further enhancements are essential to meet the evolving demands of the market. It lacks features such as ActiveSync Exchange security, and it doesn't offer alternatives like password-less authentication via biometrics or patches. While Symantec mainly relies on traditional token-based or password-based methods, newer authentication methods are missing from its repertoire. Support services often lack promptness and depth of knowledge, leaving customers waiting for weeks to resolve issues. In the realm of multifactor authentication, swift resolution of problems is critical, as any slowdown or interruption can significantly impact operations. Urgent improvement is necessary to ensure that support responses are faster and more effective, aligning with the demands of MFA implementation.
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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"They are users who, as mentioned before, utilize RDPAP and MDPAP. It includes functionalities related to finance, specifically in single sign-on."
"The most valuable feature is the ability for users to connect securely to the office using the VPN."
"The feature of Cisco Duo that I prefer the most is the policies, being able to control what we need to within the policies."
"The Verified Duo Push feature is valuable. It gives an extra level of security beyond just the regular push."
"It's easy to use for the security part, and it helps to improve our security posture."
"All features of the solution are effective, particularly those involved in identifying vulnerabilities and updates."
"Another feature is the single pane of glass management. That's important for analytics and also for troubleshooting. It means there's one place that you go to at least start the troubleshooting process."
"I love Duo Security's push notifications. It's simple, fast, and secure. From the user's perspective, the solution is seamless. The security aspect is great."
More Cisco Duo pros
"One of the most valuable aspects is its remarkable stability."
"It tells us exactly what we want in terms of authentication to various applications and provides protection for users who access them."
"One of the most valuable features of this solution is that it's a strong authentication solution that's able to integrate with applications."
"Rules on Risk Authentication are very good."
 

Cons

"General announcements when new features come out with Cisco Duo should be broadcasted to customers who are using it, which might bring more accessibility to their documents so users can be more in tune with updates."
"They can make authentication easier. It should be done in a shorter time. Sometimes, it can take a bit more time to get the answer on your phone. You have to wait a bit longer to get the SMS code and other things. There can be some internet or connection issues. They should make it faster because sometimes, it's urgent, and you need to access something as soon as possible."
"There was an issue related to integration with third parties."
"Duo Security should have more customized use cases. For example, if a client needs to have more customization, it would be better to connect directly with Duo's R&D to try to discuss the issues together in order to add customizations."
"There is always room for improvement."
"I would appreciate seeing Cisco Duo improved with a tighter integration with Active Directory to secure not just Remote Desktop to a server, but all the remote levels of connection that you can make to a server."
"There was an issue related to integration with third parties."
"The only challenge is finding the right person sometimes. From what I've seen, being a named account is a big deal."
More Cisco Duo cons
"Urgent improvement is necessary to ensure that support responses are faster and more effective, aligning with the demands of MFA implementation."
"Advanced Authentication talks about the Device ID. But how the device ID is captured, I want to know more about that."
"We have seen quite a few issues with bugginess. It is indeed pretty buggy and we have had to install some fixes."
"This solution could be improved with risk-based authentication. I think that this product has everything that most customers are looking for, but modern technology has people looking for security tools with risk-based authentication, which they have a separate tool for. If they could integrate this, it would improve Symantec Advanced Authentication. They have to look at what's newly trending and how things are moving forward, and then adapt and adopt those features. Symantec's technical support should also be improved, in terms of response time."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It was very reasonable."
"The cost was reasonable. Licensing was pretty straightforward for a change."
"With regard to pricing, for a small business buying a one off, it's pretty expensive. If it's an enterprise that has thousands of employees, however, it's really nothing to protect your data because if your network goes down or it's breached, you're losing millions of dollars every minute. When it comes to a large enterprise, it's priced where it should be because you're talking business to business. You're not talking business to consumer."
"You pay per user when using this solution and the pricing is fair."
"The pricing is pretty competitive. It's pretty cheap. Anybody can adopt it."
"Duo Security's pricing is good, fair, and very comparable to today's market."
"Our licensing fee is currently on an annual basis."
"It's very simple. Its price is fair. We use the hardware tokens as well. You get what you pay for. In terms of licensing, Cisco has very complicated products, but Duo Security was surprisingly easy."
More Cisco Duo pricing and cost advice
"There are eventually going to be implementation costs. Sometimes you're required to have custom code developments there, so that has to be part of the implementation price."
"The price is reasonable."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
19%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
6%
Financial Services Firm
6%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

How does Duo Security compare with Microsoft Authenticator?
We switched to Duo Security for identity verification. We’d been using a competitor but got the chance to evaluate Duo for 30 days, and we could not be happier. Duo Security is easy to configure a...
See all answers
What do you like most about Duo Security?
They are users who, as mentioned before, utilize RDPAP and MDPAP. It includes functionalities related to finance, specifically in single sign-on.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Duo Security?
My experience with the pricing, setup cost, and licensing of Cisco Duo is honestly above my pay grade. I don't know any of that.
See all answers
What do you like most about Symantec Advanced Authentication?
One of the most valuable aspects is its remarkable stability.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Symantec Advanced Authentication?
The price is reasonable.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Symantec Advanced Authentication?
There has been a need for aggressive development to modernize the product and align it with contemporary security requirements. While the rebranding has been a step forward, further enhancements ar...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs Cisco Duo Logo
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs Cisco Duo
Compared 14% of the time
Microsoft Entra ID vs Cisco Duo Logo
Microsoft Entra ID vs Cisco Duo
Compared 13% of the time
Fortinet FortiToken vs Cisco Duo Logo
Fortinet FortiToken vs Cisco Duo
Compared 11% of the time
Yubico YubiKey vs Cisco Duo Logo
Yubico YubiKey vs Cisco Duo
Compared 8% of the time
RSA SecurID vs Cisco Duo Logo
RSA SecurID vs Cisco Duo
Compared 4% of the time
More Cisco Duo Competitors
Thales Authenticators vs Symantec Advanced Authentication Logo
Thales Authenticators vs Symantec Advanced Authentication
Compared 100% of the time
More Symantec Advanced Authentication Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Duo
August 2025
Cisco Duo reportDownload Cisco Duo product report
Buyer's Guide
Symantec Advanced Authentication
July 2025
Symantec Advanced Authentication reportDownload Symantec Advanced Authentication product report
 

Also Known As

Duo Security
CA Advanced Authentication, CA Strong Authentication, CA Risk Authentication, Arcot WebFort, Arcot RiskFort
 

Overview

Cisco Duo is a cloud-based identity security tool offering easy and wide-ranging access protection for users and devices worldwide. It assures identity-first security with clear visibility across multi-cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments.

Cisco Duo provides robust multi-factor authentication and seamless integration capabilities with existing infrastructures. Appreciated for its stability and speed, it supports distributed workforces by securing VPN access, corporate networks, and cloud services. Duo’s comprehensive identity ecosystem supports easy deployment and management through a single-pane-of-glass management interface. It seamlessly merges with popular platforms like Active Directory and Office 365 across diverse hardware.

What are Cisco Duo’s Essential Features?
  • Multi-Factor Authentication: Offers secure access with options like push notifications and hardware tokens.
  • Seamless Integration: Easily fits with existing systems and third-party applications.
  • User-Friendly Management: Provides centralized control with a single-pane-of-glass interface.
  • Wide Compatibility: Supports broad applications and devices, enhancing security management.
  • Stable and Fast: Reliable speed and intuitive interaction for users across platforms.
What Benefits and ROI Can Cisco Duo Users Expect?
  • Enhanced Security: Increases protection with versatile MFA options for critical resources.
  • Ease of Use: Simplifies deployment and management with intuitive interfaces.
  • Scalability: Adapts to growing needs with broad compatibility and integration support.
  • Support for Distributed Workforces: Ensures secure remote access for teams anywhere.

Cisco Duo finds extensive applications across education, finance, retail, and government sectors by fortifying network and application access security. Organizations leverage it for its MFA capabilities, integrating with ERP systems, ensuring protected connectivity with VPN and cloud-based services, crucial in maintaining secure and efficient operations.

Cisco

CA Advanced Authentication provides a secure, user-convenient and cost-effective way to protect online and mobile applications. The solution consists of two components:  CA Risk Authentication allows the enterprise to silently and transparently collect data and assess risk based on device identification, location and user behavior, among other factors, and CA Strong Authentication provides a wide variety of software-based, two-factor authentication credentials and technology to make passwords more secure.  Together they enable an intelligent, layered security approach to protect user identities and organizational data.

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Broadcom
 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Global bank, Large Filipino Bank and SK Infosec
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Duo vs. Symantec Advanced Authentication
July 2025
Free Report: Cisco Duo vs. Symantec Advanced Authentication
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