NOMINATION HIGHLIGHTS

Omkar Nimbalkar is a distinguished cybersecurity leader and hands-on practitioner with over 12 years of experience defending global enterprises against advanced threats. Known for consistently pushing the boundaries of AI-powered cyber defense, Omkar serves as Senior Manager of Cyber Threat Research & Intelligence at Adobe, where he leads a global team of threat researchers delivering actionable threat intelligence that protects the enterprise and safeguards millions of customers worldwide.

He has designed and developed comprehensive cloud security and threat intelligence programs, implemented robust cloud security guardrails, and led research into emerging threats. By aligning security initiatives with business objectives, Omkar has enabled enterprises to anticipate, detect, and respond to threats with greater speed and precision, driving measurable reductions in enterprise risk. He pioneered an AI-driven threat analysis solution that has reduced threat analysis time from days/hours to minutes, saving countless hours of manual effort. This innovation was showcased at the IEEE Silicon Valley Cybersecurity Conference and The Diana Initiative earlier this year.

In addition to his operational impact, Omkar is a visible thought leader and industry advocate, sharing knowledge through global conferences such as IEEE SVCC, The Diana Initiative, Cloud Security Alliance meetups, and TechStrong TV segments. His talks and panel discussions focus on AI-driven threat intelligence, adversary trends, security research, and threat intelligence tradecraft – making complex topics accessible and actionable for security teams worldwide.

Omkar’s influence also extends into academia and workforce development. As an Advisory Board Member for the Silicon Valley Center for Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity (CAIC) at San Jose State University, he mentors students, shapes curriculum, and strengthens the bridge between academia and industry, ensuring the next generation of practitioners are prepared to meet tomorrow’s challenges.

Omkar’s blend of visionary leadership protecting millions, groundbreaking technical innovation that advances the state of the art, and unwavering commitment to strengthening the cybersecurity community truly embodies the spirit of Cybersecurity Excellence.

References:
• SJSU CAIC Advisory Board: https://www.sjsu.edu/information-data-society/centers-labs/bdcc/about-us/advisory-board.php
• The Diana Initiative talk: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7349038075135565824/
• CSA Bay Area Meetup Panel Discussion: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/csa-san-francisco-chapter-meeting-july-23rd-2025-tickets-1393290793269
• TechStrong TV Segment: https://techstrong.tv/videos/interviews/maximizing-opportunities-minimizing-risks-ways-to-leverage-ai-for-security
• IEEE SVCC Talk: https://www.svcc-svcsi.org/industrytalk#:~:text=Omkar%20Nimbalkar%20(Sr,Extraction%20and%20Enrichment
• IEEE SVCC CTF: https://www.svcsi.org/post/cyberwarrior-adobe_ctf-svcc-2025
• Top 5% Mentor on Topmate: https://topmate.io/omkarnimbalkar