CHICAGO—  On October 1, a critical piece of code used on over 2 billion websites to safeguard security expired. Companies large and small were disrupted and untold millions of consumers around the globe  suddenly could not access the sites they wanted . The  expiring  of the Let’s Encrypt security certificate is still wreaking havoc because it is the most widely used piece of code authorizing access to secure websites. Consumers are finding that their desktop, mobile, Mac, Windows, Android and other systems and devices cannot connect to many websites using the HTTPS security protocol if their tech is more than a few years old and not running the latest operating systems. This latest digital communications debacle should be a wakeup call for companies as well as legislators and regulators pushing “paperless” policies. It is another glaring example where the technology canyon just swallowed millions more consumers that may never be counted. Companies that are truly committed to consumer protection must make default access to paper bills, statements, explanation of benefits, financial planning documents and other essential notices – free of charge – a priority, and allow those who can and want to access digital communications to proactively opt in to them.