Jean Pawluk is a senior security advisor at Troutman Pepper and not licensed to practice law in any jurisdiction.

On August 11, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) published a circular, answering the question “Can entities violate the prohibition on unfair acts or practices in the Consumer Financial Protection Act (CFPA) when they have insufficient data protection or information security?” with a resounding “yes.” Specifically, the CFPB pointed to three practices — inadequate authorization,