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Watchdog Says CFPB Cybersecurity Program Is Not Effective After Sharp Maturity Drop

An OIG audit attributes the decline to canceled contracts, staff departures, and lapsed system authorizations.

Overview

  • The bureau’s security maturity fell from level 4 in fiscal 2024 to level 2 in 2025, the audit concluded.
  • Auditors identified 35 systems operating with expired or missing authorizations to operate or use, undermining assurance on controls.
  • Following White House actions that halted bureau activity and brought in outside reviewers, canceled task orders and personnel losses cut continuous monitoring and testing capacity.
  • The report cites continued reliance on end‑of‑life software and the lack of organization‑level cybersecurity risk profiles.
  • CFPB management accepted all six recommendations as CIO Christopher Chilbert disputed the severity and noted no major PII breaches in 2025.