Making Seamless Authentication a Reality for MSP Customers
Users don’t like passwords and logging in, period. MSPs should like passwords even less since, according to Gartner, 40% of all help desk calls are related to password resets. That’s valuable time the staff could spend resolving bigger problems faster.
While the enforcement of multi-factor authentication (MFA) makes logging in more secure, it inevitably runs the risk of adding steps to a process users already find annoying. When people get frustrated by juggling too many credentials, PINs and devices, they tend to find workarounds.
These shortcuts creatively circumvent security practices in favor of convenience — like saving passwords to a browser, or extensions that automatically enter MFA codes. While this may avoid authentication fatigue, it certainly risks and may even violate some security standards.
MSPs have the opportunity to deliver better, faster, more secure authentication that clients will actually adopt. Turn on Duo Passport in two clicks and offer a true single sign-on experience with all of Duo’s award-winner, user-friendly interfaces.
Eliminate repetitive logins with Duo Passport
Most users don’t mind logging in once at the beginning of the day, but logging into multiple services several times a day would test anyone’s patience. Each attempt is a point of friction for the end-user, having to pull out their phone or punch in yet another 6-digit code just to check their email.
MSPs can solve this with a single sign-on experience that begins with the first operating system login and carries clients’ employees through their entire workday. Duo Passport enables seamless access even as the user switches to new applications, including browsers, traditional SSOs, and thick client apps like Outlook or VPN, reducing logon fatigue.
With Duo Passport, the user logs in once, and their authentication status is maintained across all applications, both in the browser and on the desktop. Once authenticated, Duo continually verifies trust for every access request based on adaptive and risk-based policies behind the scenes — without re-prompting users for authentication. This seamless experience means that end-users can focus on their work without constant interruptions, and administrators still get a comprehensive log of login attempts.
"Duo Passport reduced end-user authentication by more than 65% in one customer, who tested it over several months."
For MSPs looking after multiple customers and many users, the number of authentications necessary each day drops dramatically — as do the number of issues that the MSP needs to resolve.
Bring Passwordless to the Windows Logon Experience
Securing Windows Logon continues to drive demand for managed security services and is one of Duo’s most popular MSP use-cases. Cisco Duo is thrilled to announce that Passwordless Authentication for Windows Logon is now generally available in all Duo Editions.
An improved user experience makes adopting new security a welcome change instead of an imposition. Duo Passwordless was built to make the experience of logging in faster and easier than ever, without compromising on strong authentication.
Duo Passport and Passwordless build upon Duo’s popular Windows Logon protection to enable authentication at the OS level, making it the first thing people do and the last time they need to authenticate, unless there is a risk-based reason for more security. Together, the two capabilities deliver a true and secure single sign-on experience for the workforce right when they start their day by logging into a Windows device.
Read the full GA announcement: Announcing Passwordless Authentication for Windows Logon
Speed to Security and ROI with Duo MSP
For MSPs, rolling out new security functionalities can be a more involved process. Even so, the benefits of reduced costs and stronger security are hard to ignore.
Administrators have been pleasantly surprised by the ease of setting up Duo Passport, with only two clicks required. Designed to be a layer of security that works with any customer environment, Passport is compatible with most identity providers and supports managed and unmanaged devices. This simplicity translates into reduced administrative burden and faster implementation. Once Duo Passport is up and rolling, the ongoing care and feeding of the feature is minimal.
Duo Passport is an essential step on our road to making secure access the default for our customers. We selected Duo as our partner because of their attention to ease of use and their expertise across platforms. We are accelerating our deployment of Duo Passport to maximize the strength of our customers’ defenses while we keep interruptions of their workflows to the minimum.” — Justworks, a pure play MSP founded in 1996
Add Duo Passport, Passwordless, and advanced identity security to your managed offerings through the Duo MSP Program. Duo allows MSPs to manage all customers in one console, offering pay-as-you-go pricing to scale with the business, lower TCO, faster ROI, and the support needed to start your customers on the path to stronger security.
The best way for MSPs to get started is by trying out Duo Passport and passwordless functionalities themselves with program NFR licenses. Learn more about setting up Duo Passport on our documentation pages or click-through a demo of Duo Passport in action.
Join the Duo MSP program today
To offer your customers world-class identity security with fast ROI and a beloved user experience, visit the Duo MSP page.