Safeguarding Trust
A Comprehensive GLBA Compliance Guide for Notary Publics & Notary Signing Agents
By Patrick R. Cartwright Jr.
Most Notary Publics and Notary Signing Agents are told they must be “GLBA compliant” — yet few are ever shown what that actually means.
Safeguarding Trust was written to close that gap.
This book is not a checklist.
It is not vague advice.
And it is not written for corporations with compliance departments.
It is a practical, regulator-aligned compliance guide written specifically for working notaries and signing agents who handle sensitive borrower information every day.
WHY THIS BOOK EXISTS
Under the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act (GLBA) and the FTC Safeguards Rule, notaries and signing agents are legally classified as service providers to financial institutions. That classification carries enforceable responsibilities.
If a data incident occurs, regulators will not ask whether you are small, independent, or well-intentioned.
They will ask whether your safeguards were reasonable, documented, and implemented.
This book shows you how to meet that standard.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
• Why GLBA applies to Notaries Public and Notary Signing Agents
• What regulators mean by “reasonable safeguards”
• What qualifies as Nonpublic Personal Information (NPI) — including common, overlooked exposures
• How to build a defensible Written Information Security Program (WISP)
• How to conduct a realistic risk assessment in a home office or mobile environment
• What practices are outright GLBA violations, including public printers, scanners, and shared Wi-Fi
• How to manage vendors, RON platforms, and third-party services
• How to prepare for incidents, audits, and contractual compliance reviews
WHAT MAKES THIS BOOK DIFFERENT
• Written in plain, professional language, not legal jargon
• Based on FTC enforcement logic, not guesswork
• Designed as both a reference book and a defensible compliance framework
• Focused on risk management, not fear-based marketing
• Built around documentation — because undocumented safeguards do not exist in the eyes of regulators
If followed and implemented, the practices in this book demonstrate reasonable, good-faith compliance, which is the legal standard under GLBA.
INCLUDES PRACTICAL TOOLS & APPENDICES
• FTC Safeguards Rule — Section-by-Section Interpretation
• Risk Assessment Matrix
• State-by-State GLBA Overlay Analysis
• GLBA Compliance Audit Checklist
• Sample Written Information Security Program (WISP)
• GLBA Acknowledgement & Attestation Forms
• Federal Preemption & State Law Analysis
• Glossary of Terms and Bibliography
WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR
• Notary Publics
• Notary Signing Agents
• Loan Signing Professionals
• Mobile and Remote Online Notaries
• Independent contractors handling borrower financial documents
Whether you are newly commissioned or highly experienced, Safeguarding Trust provides the clarity, structure, and documentation needed to operate confidently in an increasingly regulated environment.
Trust is not assumed.
It is safeguarded.
Safeguarding Trust shows you how.
