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Target will testify before Congress over massive holiday data breach

Target will testify before Congress over massive holiday data breach

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Target flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/roadsidepictures/2923629922/
Target flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/roadsidepictures/2923629922/

US retailer Target will offer testimony next month in a congressional hearing focused on data breaches. The Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee hearing is scheduled for the first week of February and comes in the aftermath of a massive and sophisticated hack against Target that compromised the information of "approximately 110 million customers." The company initially believed the damage was limited to financial data, but earlier this month Target revealed that names, mailing addresses, and email addresses for up to 70 million shoppers were also among the stolen information.

It's unclear how much new information Target will share during testimony; an investigation on the breach remains ongoing with involvement from the US Secret Service and Department of Justice. But subcommittee chairman Lee Terry is hopeful that the session will prove useful. “Tens of millions of Americans have had their information compromised in recent weeks, and consumers deserve to know what information has been taken and the potential threats that exist," he said. "By examining these recent breaches and their consequences on consumers, we hope to gain a better understanding of the nature of these crimes and what steps can be taken to further protect information and limit cyber threats."