Strengthening Campus Security with Forsyte Guardian Select
The State University of New York (SUNY) is advancing cybersecurity across its campuses through a systemwide agreement with Forsyte IT Solutions. Purpose-built for higher education, this agreement enables SUNY institutions to adopt Forsyte Guardian Select, a 24×7 Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service built entirely on the Microsoft security stack.
Guardian Select delivers round-the-clock security monitoring, rapid threat detection and response, and seamless integration with Microsoft Defender and Microsoft Sentinel, helping SUNY campuses improve cyber resilience while reducing operational complexity.
Today, 15 SUNY institutions are Guardian Select customers, leveraging Guardian Select as a scalable, consistent cybersecurity model that enhances protection, supports compliance, and provides peace of mind across the SUNY system.
The Challenge: Securing a Large, Distributed Higher Education System
SUNY campuses face increasing cybersecurity risks—from ransomware and identity-based attacks to evolving compliance and cyber insurance requirements. At the same time, many institutions operate with limited internal security resources and complex, decentralized IT environments.
SUNY needed a solution that could:
- Provide 24×7 monitoring and threat response
- Integrate natively with existing Microsoft environments
- Scale across campuses with varying security maturity
- Reduce alert fatigue while improving visibility and response times
- Support a systemwide approach without sacrificing campus autonomy
The Solution: Guardian Select Managed Detection & Response
Through its systemwide agreement, SUNY institutions gain access to Guardian Select, a Microsoft-aligned MDR service delivered by a 24×7 Security Operations Center (SOC). Guardian 365 combines advanced threat detection, proactive monitoring, and hands-on incident response—allowing campuses to strengthen security without adding internal operational burden.
By integrating directly into Microsoft Defender and Microsoft Sentinel, Guardian Select enables SUNY campuses to maximize the value of their Microsoft security investments while maintaining a consistent security baseline across the system.
Campus Spotlight: SUNY Empire State University
As a Guardian Select customer, SUNY Empire State University has experienced measurable improvements in its cybersecurity operations—benefiting from continuous monitoring, faster threat resolution, and streamlined compliance support.
“As a Guardian Select customer, SUNY Empire State University has experienced measurable improvements in its cybersecurity operations—benefiting from continuous monitoring, faster threat resolution, and streamlined compliance support.”
– Todd Myles, Information Security Officer, SUNY Empire State University
Systemwide Impact and Results
Across participating SUNY campuses, Guardian Select helps deliver:
- 24×7 SOC-backed monitoring and incident response
- Faster detection and remediation of security threats
- Reduced alert fatigue for IT and security teams
- Improved alignment with compliance and cyber insurance expectations
- A scalable, Microsoft-based security foundation
With 15 Guardian Select customers already participating, SUNY continues to demonstrate how a systemwide cybersecurity strategy can strengthen resilience, improve consistency, and support campus IT teams—while preserving flexibility at the institutional level.
