
Lead Cybersecurity Expert, CERT.LV, Republic of Latvia
Dr. Bernhards Blumbergs is a leading cybersecurity expert at the Cyber Incident Response Institution of the Republic of Latvia (CERT.LV) and has served as a technology researcher and Ambassador at the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (NATO CCD COE) since 2018. In 2020, he completed his postdoctoral research at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology in Japan under a JSPS fellowship, focusing on cyber threat intelligence.
Dr. Blumbergs’ primary focus in operational technology (OT) and industrial automation and control system security. He has extensive practical experience in executing technical red team operations and leading threat-hunting initiatives targeting national critical infrastructure. He is also the creator and technical director of "Crossed Swords," the world’s largest and most innovative full-spectrum offensive cyber operation exercise.
His professional certifications include GIAC Exploit Researcher and Advanced Penetration Tester (GXPN), GIAC Industrial Cyber Security Professional (GICSP), and GIAC Response and Industrial Defense (GRID). With a strong military background, Dr. Blumbergs has developed, administered, and secured wide-area information systems.
Dr. Blumbergs earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science, specializing in cybersecurity, from Tallinn Technical University in 2019. His dissertation focused on the development and execution of offensive cyber operations.