Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a security process that requires users to verify their identity in multiple ways — for example, by logging in via a username and password, then confirming their phone number.
Google and Apple adopted two-factor authentication in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Other tech giants soon followed. Today, all sorts of platforms and apps use two-factor authentication, from online banks to e-commerce sites.
Authenticator apps add another layer of security and are an easy and convenient way to confirm a person's identity. Duo Mobile is one of the most popular apps of its kind, but is it safe?
What is Duo Mobile? How does it work?
Duo Mobile is developed by Cisco Systems, an American technology corporation specializing in cybersecurity.
Duo Mobile, available on both iOS and Android, works on the same basic principle as Google Authenticator and similar apps. In short, you get a notification on your phone when you (or someone else) tries to log in to your account, and then approve or deny the login request. This helps prevent unauthorized logins and makes it much harder for threat actors to access your account.
Download Duo Mobile for Android Download Duo Mobile for iOS
The app itself is intuitive and easy to use, so it shouldn't take more than a few minutes to connect your accounts and get everything set up. More importantly, the interface is simple and just one tap is all it takes to approve or deny a request.
Is Duo Mobile secure and safe to use?
Ease of use is important, but it doesn’t matter if an app isn’t secure. Fortunately, as a flagship Cisco Secure product, Duo Mobile checks most of the boxes when it comes to security and privacy. For starters, it hasn’t had a single breach reported, which proves Cisco takes protecting user data seriously. But many other companies don’t, so Duo Mobile offers extra security whether you plan to use it to verify your social media logins or prevent unauthorized access to your bank account.
Duo Restore is something that other similar apps lack. It backs up your device and connected accounts (to iCloud or Google Drive ), making it easy to maintain access to them at all times, whether you need to restore an account on your current device or connect to a new one. This way, getting a new phone won't lock you out of any third-party platforms or compromise your security.
Duo Mobile can’t access your contacts, text messages, or photos, but the app does ask for some permissions, according to its privacy policy. For example, it will send push notifications, but that’s necessary if you want to be alerted when someone tries to log into your account. That said, you can always turn this feature off.
Similarly, you can also turn off camera access, but camera access is required to scan QR codes — and you need to scan them to set up two-factor verification on some platforms.
Duo Mobile does not sell or share user data with third parties, but it does collect usage data. This can also be disabled in settings. Additionally, the app collects some basic information about your device, such as the operating system type and version.
It's also worth pointing out that Duo Mobile's privacy policy is very concise and very easy to understand, which is definitely commendable.
Duo Mobile vs. other Authenticator apps?
Two-factor authentication was a game-changer when it became widely available, as it was a convenient and simple way to enhance personal cybersecurity. The Authenticator app made the whole process a lot easier, and Duo Mobile is definitely one of the best authenticators out there. But if you don’t like Duo Mobile for whatever reason, there are plenty of good alternatives that work on both Android and iOS.
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