Cisco to Buy Duo for Security in a 'MultiCloud World'

Cisco's acquisition of Duo and the integration of the company's unified access security and multifactor authentication delivered via the cloud aim to offer customers improved security.

Privately held Duo Security has technology that Cisco sees as advantageous to its intent-based networking strategy, so Cisco Thursday announced its intent to acquire the company. Cisco will pay $2.35 billion in cash and assumed equity awards for the Michigan-based company.

Founded in 2010, Duo Security provides two-factor authentication, endpoint remediation and secure single sign-on tools. The company’s security solution verifies the identity of users and the health of their devices before granting them access to applications to help prevent cybersecurity threats. The vendor launched its first channel partner program aimed at MSPs last year.

“In today’s multicloud world, the modern workforce is connecting to critical business applications both on and off-premises,” said David Goeckeler, executive vice president and general manager of Cisco’s networking and security business. “IT teams are responsible for protecting hundreds of different perimeters that span anywhere a user makes an access decision. Duo’s zero-trust authentication and access products integrated with our network, device and cloud security platforms, will enable our customers to address the complexity and challenges that stem from multi- and hybrid cloud environments.”

SOURCE: channelfutures