This week, we're excited to feature @Eric Singleton, Vice President of Operations at Cycurion, in our LHIT Community AMA series!
Eric leads cybersecurity strategy, partnerships, and service delivery for both public and private sector clients-bringing a wealth of experience to the intersection of health IT and security.
Q1: Can you tell us a bit about your current role and organization?
I serve as Vice President of Operations at Cycurion, where I lead our cybersecurity practice, strategic partnerships, and service delivery for public sector and commercial clients. Our focus is advancing next-generation security operations that combine AI, automation, and active defense to protect critical systems and data.
Q2: How did you get involved in health IT?
My involvement began through HIPAA security assessments for major healthcare organizations, including Kaiser Permanente, the University of Illinois School of Medicine, and the District of Columbia's Health IT program. Those projects sparked my passion for improving cybersecurity maturity across public health systems.
Q3: What's a recent project or initiative you're most proud of?
I'm especially proud of Cycurion's partnership with NACCHO and private Institutions of Higher Education to launch Cyber Shield-a managed cybersecurity service that helps local health departments, colleges, and universities strengthen defenses, meet compliance requirements, and respond faster to cyber threats.
Q4: How is your team using technology to improve public health outcomes?
We use advanced threat analytics, continuous monitoring, and secure cloud frameworks to safeguard health data and maintain operational continuity. Protecting digital infrastructure directly supports the safe, reliable delivery of public health services.
Q5: Are there any tools, frameworks, or approaches that have made a big difference in your work?
We align with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) and implement continuous monitoring powered by AI-driven SOC platforms. This combination strengthens visibility, incident response, and compliance.
Q6: What kind of partnerships or collaborations have been most valuable in your efforts?
Collaborations with organizations like NACCHO and the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) have been instrumental. Together, we combine public health expertise and higher education innovation with advanced cybersecurity operations to deliver measurable resilience.
Q7: What advice would you share with other LHIT members?
Prioritize cybersecurity as a core part of public health. Build partnerships early, adopt automation where possible, and measure progress through frameworks like NIST CSF. Doing so helps sustain trust, compliance, and operational continuity-especially when systems are most needed.
Eric will be joining our next LHIT meeting, which will be a panel discussion on cybersecurity threats to prepare for as we enter the holiday season. Join us on November 13 at 1pm ET to discuss cybersecurity best practices.
If you have any questions for Eric, ask him below!
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Angie McPherson
Senior Web Specialist
National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
Washington DC
(571)484-4663
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