Getting Started with Duo Security

Add robust two-factor authentication to your VPN, email, web portal, cloud services, etc. with Duo. After successful primary authentication, your users simply approve a secondary authentication request pushed to our Duo Mobile smartphone app. Users may also authenticate by answering a phone call or by entering a one-time passcode generated by the Duo Mobile app, a compatible hardware token, or received via SMS.

Many organizations protect local and remote logins with a simple username and password. Entering these two pieces of information grants access to company databases, email accounts, and other sensitive information. But passwords are notoriously insecure. Many users choose weak passwords which can be easily guessed or cracked. Phishing attacks trick people daily into revealing their passwords, and users on unsecured networks (e.g. at coffee shops) can have their passwords sniffed. Malicious viruses and spyware can capture passwords and send them over the network to attackers.

Getting Started

To give Duo a try, just follow these steps:

Sign up for a Duo account.
Follow the steps on screen to configure two-factor authentication for your Duo administrator account.
Add a backup phone number to your Duo administrator account.
Use your new administrator account to log into the Duo Admin Panel.
Decide which service, system, or appliance you want to protect with Duo. The Applications page lists all resources that are linked and protected by your Duo service.

Then, use our documentation to configure the Duo application on your service, system, or appliance.
Enroll your users in Duo. We provide several methods for enrollment, such as importing from an Active Directory domain. Some applications also support self-enrollment by users when they access the protected service.

Your Duo administrator login can't also be used to log into the service or device now protected by a Duo application, so don't forget to enroll a user account for yourself!
Start authenticating!

Next Steps

Now that you've experienced the ease of adding Duo protection to one application, your next step is planning a full Duo deployment.

We've prepared a Liftoff guide that walks you through the stages of a typical organization Duo rollout.

Liftoff Progress Bar

Our Liftoff guide includes timelines and milestones, configuration best practices, tips for employee communications and training your support staff, and more!

Duo Deployment Timeline

Read Liftoff: Guide to Duo Deployment Best Practices

Questions? Check our administration documentation, knowledge base, or contact Support for help.

Documentation