Ashish K Upadhyay has been appointed as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of Dehradun Smart City. This appointment marks a significant step in bolstering the city’s digital resilience and cybersecurity posture under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs’ (MoHUA) smart city framework. He was initially serving as Assistant General Manager (Cybersecurity & Forensics) with the Government of Uttarakhand and leading CERT-UK.
As CISO, Ashish K Upadhyay is now responsible for overseeing all cybersecurity-related functions across the city’s smart infrastructure. His role involves strategic leadership in designing and implementing robust cybersecurity policies and architectures tailored to the Smart City ecosystem. One of the core components of his mandate includes managing a 24×7 Security Operations Center (SOC), ensuring real-time monitoring, threat detection, and rapid incident response capabilities.
In line with national standards and directives, the CISO ensures strict compliance with frameworks issued by CERT-In and NCIIPC. His responsibilities also cover regular cybersecurity audits, continuous vulnerability assessments, and enforcement of secure development and infrastructure practices. This includes managing patch updates, configuring firewalls, and maintaining endpoint security across the city’s digital landscape.
Beyond technical oversight, Upadhyay plays a key role in enhancing cybersecurity culture. He is tasked with leading cybersecurity awareness initiatives, organizing training and capacity-building programs for stakeholders, and fostering coordination with technology vendors, service integrators, and law enforcement agencies.
Acting as the city’s nodal officer for cyber governance, he is expected to ensure the security, integrity, and resilience of all connected systems that underpin Dehradun’s smart city ambitions. His expertise in cyber forensics and operational security positions him well to navigate the growing complexity of urban digital infrastructure.
Ashish K Upadhyay’s appointment reinforces the city’s commitment to building a secure, future-ready smart governance model where technology and trust go hand in hand. With 12 years of experience, he has been associated with Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Tata Consultancy Services, BT Group, and Sony India Software Centre.
 of Dehradun Smart City. This appointment marks a sign...){kind=link}