Amazon Cognito vs. Google Authenticator vs. Symantec VIP

Well Suited

1. B2C mobile and web apps with a high number of users.
2. Cheaper and cost-effective.
3. If the other pieces of the infra are already using AWS services like Lambda, S3, Pinpoint, etc.

Not Suited For:

1. Advanced use-cases (Biometrics based authentication) Email, and other MFA channels.
2. For any use-cases needing SCIM.
3. Customized flows of SSO, and MFA will need a layer on Lambda and other AWS services.

Incentivized

Logging into my work accounts is where Google Authenticator works best. Also, I had a personal account get hacked. I had an account created to book hotels, but someone was constantly resetting my password. To prevent further hacking attempts, I set up Google Authenticator. I do not believe it would be appropriate for banking accounts.

Incentivized

Symantec VIP is best suited in environments where you need two factor authentication. As explained before, Symantec VIP is super easy to use and manage for our users across our entire organization. If you have your users using a virtual private network, Symantec VIP is the way to go; no doubt about it!

Incentivized

• Strong integration with React.js and client-side applications
• Easy to bridge Cognito identities with the rest of the AWS ecosystem
• Easy to store user profile data directly in Cognito rather than having to build additional services/endpoints
• Easy integration with AWS Lambda to extend and add sophistication to the service

Incentivized

• One strength is in how it checks identity to stop unwanted people from getting access.
• Another strength is in cutting down on the frustration of users for the authentication process.
• With the pandemic and needing to work away from the office it also provided additional security in keeping our network/infrastructure safe.

Incentivized

• The UI is intuitive and simple to use and navigate. When generating a secure token to be used for VPN access, all the navigation is clear and intuitive. There is no confusion when our users use Symantec VIP.
• Every generated token expires after 30-60 seconds, thus providing an extra layer of security and reducing any risk of someone re-using a token or pin to gain unauthorized access into our system.
• The app is super responsive and has no lag and little to no latency. Everything loads quickly and is super speedy.
• Our department can opt for a 6 digit code which we can use while logging in on different sites and SSO access can be easily set up and achieved with this tool.

Incentivized

• Amazon Cognito has a bit of a learning curve. You need to learn its concepts and terminology. The documentation does not describe some topics comprehensively.
• Some Console screens would benefit from improved search and filtering options.
• When another AWS product (e.g., SageMaker) configures Cognito on your behalf, it is not clear what you're getting. For example, the expiration of a temporary password was configured but never communicated.

Incentivized

• I once performed a factory reset of my smartphone which had Google Authenticator. I didn't have a backup for the device. When I restored my phone with the same google account, I was not able to restore the authenticator app settings. I had to add all the keys back into the app to use it. This is cumbersome, but I understand it is set up this way for security reasons.
• I don't like the ease with which it lets you delete a key. If I accidentally delete a key, I am doomed to get my 2FA key reset, unless I still have the QR code saved somewhere.

Incentivized

• when setting a token to a phone call, the phone calls often take a minute + to call the user.
• When Symantec's VIP app is removed or reinstalled on a phone, the credential ID will change, and that dictates a call to the helpdesk to allow the user access.
• Temporary security codes while handy, must be set to expire immediately to stay secure.

Incentivized

It works as intended, easy to setup, free and gives you another level of security against any unwanted access or cyber attacks

Incentivized

Amazon Cognito is easy to use and implement if you don't need to implement custom policies. But if your security team requires something outside the box, then implementation becomes complicated and you risk wasting time. There is no option for customizable regex for passwords, which is a major deficiency. The standard password policy, allow to choose the length of the password, if it should contains at least one number, one special character, one uppercase letter and one lowercase letter.

Incentivized

It's as easy as opening the app and what I need it for is there. I don't have to fumble with other accounts or getting something else to open it for me. I have all the access that I need for the use of the app within seconds and I can get access to the info that I need.

In terms of availability, I had not experienced any issues with outages or the product not working when needed

Incentivized

The performance of google Authenticator is good and I have not experienced any slow downs

Incentivized

Community support is excellent, many times even better and quicker then the offical AWS support. I really cannot recommend community support enough! Apart from that the service is relativily easy to use and does not have a huge learning curve. Examples are easy to follow and will help you start using the service.

Incentivized

I have found Google’s support to be hit or miss. There are times when they are very responsive, and I get my issue resolved quickly, and there are times where a response from them takes weeks. There is no in-between. But my support experience with this particular product is nonexistent because I have not had a problem with it yet. Hopefully, we do not have any problems with it either.

Incentivized

Great vendor support, along with a great product solution

Incentivized

It was easy to implement and it went very smoothly. No issues

Incentivized

They are ideal tools to create a secure and unique login experience for our applications. Thanks to its API authorization, Amazon Cognito ensures connections to applications that are secure.It is easy to use and provides easy access to files and applications that you need to complete your goal.

Incentivized

First, Google Authenticator meets the security requirements which should be considered "table stakes". Second, simplicity is critical. Many users don' understand why they are setting up MFA (or they just don't care), and so adding additional complications to their day-to-day is always challenging. When it is simple, it makes life a lot easier. Finally, trust (due to the brand name recognition, primarily) removes any notion of "what is this?" that the user may have from being required to install something on their personal device for work purposes.

Incentivized

The Symantec VIP solution has a more easy implementation process, which makes implementation faster. The Prove Of Concept of the solution presents the best results compared with Duo. The final price charged was cheaper. Consultants that participate in the process get show to us in a more clear manner all scenarios where we can use the Symantec VIP.

Incentivized

The product doesn’t have any features of tools that can help it scale

Incentivized

• ROI is great for Amazon Cognito Overall.
• It is included in the AWS Free Tier so you can use it for a good amount without paying, so the software can be tested beforehand.
• The paid pricing is also affordable, so a positive impact on ROI.

Incentivized

• More secure data = less worried about a data breach.
• Takes longer to log in, and if I don't have my phone then I have to go looking for it, so it really makes it so that you can't be without your phone, which in certain instances is annoying or not possible and can hold up work time.
• Everyone is willing to use the same program because everyone likes Google—makes it easier to manage.

Incentivized

• It was as easy to implement and manage as promised, so that definitely saved us time and frustration.
• It allowed us to improve on our existing PHI and PII security measures.
• Allowing secure access from remote locations, especially smart phones, was a huge plus.

Incentivized