Azure MFA vs Duo Security
At a time when phishing, social engineering, and password brute-force attacks are becoming increasingly common, applications must verify that users are who they claim to be. Attackers are on the lookout for application vulnerabilities which are mostly found in weak or stolen credentials. Businesses are implementing several layers of security to protect their sensitive data. This is because, while a primary password to an account can be stolen over the internet the addition of a second form of authentication, preferably one that is out-of-band with the primary one will be able to deter an attacker from stealing or duplicating information. There are several products available in the market that offer multifactor authentication security for applications. In this blog, we will focus on Azure MFA vs Duo Security.
Duo Security Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Duo Security Multifactor Authentication is an agile and flexible solution for providing a frictionless login experience for application users. It is a cloud-based solution built on the zero-trust philosophy and offers a scalable solution for modern workforces to access sensitive content securely. It supports multi-cloud, hybrid, or on-premises environments and protects SaaS tools, infrastructure, custom applications, and even Secure Shell that run on remote devices even when they are offline. Users can choose from a range of authentication methods that are supported by Duo Security including the Duo Push app, U2F, and Biometrics, apart from Tokens and Passcodes. It can be deployed quickly and easily to support new applications and devices without affecting the existing systems. Admins can access all the information that they need on a powerful dashboard that is also capable of generating detailed reports.
Azure MFA
Azure Multi-Factor Authentication is a component of Azure AD authentication that also includes Self-service password reset, hybrid integration to write password changes back to the on-premises environment, hybrid integration to enforce password protection policies for an on-premises environment, and passwordless authentication. With Azure MFA, users are given the flexibility of an additional form of authentication during sign-in, such as a phone call or mobile app notification which eliminates the dependence on a fixed form of secondary authentication like a hardware token. The advantage of this approach is that even if users do not have one form of authentication, they can choose another and continue with the sign in. Azure MFA requires two or more different types of information based on what users know, have, or are and includes four types of registration methods which are Microsoft Authenticator app, OATH Hardware token, SMS, and Voice call.
Azure MFA vs Duo MFA
Both Azure MFA and Duo MFA work on the same principles. They even have many commonalities with Duo offering native multi-factor authentication within Azure AD of which Azure MFA is already a component. While some users prefer to use Duo MFA primarily because it user-friendly and is vendor agnostic, Azure MFA has a large user-base as the basic version is available with every Office 365 and Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) subscription at no additional costs. The advanced versions of Azure MFA are available with Azure AD Conditional Access and risk-based Conditional Access that provide convenience and flexibility for Azure MFA implementations. In specific cases, users have found Duo MFA to be user-friendly for protecting terminal server gateways, but that again can be achieved with Azure MFA with the RADIUS protocol.
Implementing MFA for Your Applications
Every organization needs and deserves MFA protection of its applications. It is among the most important security features that can protect users from a wide range of attacks. As a Microsoft Partner, Apps4Rent assists businesses implement Azure solutions effectively for their businesses. Our consultants provide 24/7 support via phone, chat, and email for Microsoft products and services including Azure. Contact us today for Azure support.
