Consumer privacy and data security is increasingly the hot issue in cybersecurity policy circles, something that lawmakers, industry groups, and consumer advocates all agree should be addressed by the new Congress, as well as by senior members of the executive branch and regulatory agencies.

Alleged misuse of data by Facebook and other social media companies and recent regulatory action by several states and the European Union are driving the push to apply some kind of enforceable national standards to companies that handle individuals’ personal data, such as Social Security or driver’s license numbers or financial account information.