Target to testify before U.S. House of Representatives after hackers steal credit card info for up to 110M customers

Target and law enforcement working with the retailer on its latest hack will testify before the House of Representatives during the first week of February.

The company experienced a major hack between Black Friday and December 15 when criminals hacked into its point of sale systems and siphoned off credit card and debit card information. The information stolen included that which could help the hackers make counterfeit cards. Target later announced that the hack may have affected up to 110 million customers.

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The company will testify specifically before the energy and commerce subcommittee, as was announced today by Chairman Lee Terry (R – Neb.).

“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,” said Terry in the announcement. “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.”

The committee released a set of best practices for anyone who thinks their information might have been stolen in this or any hack attack. The document is called the “Data Breach Consumer Alert,” and includes information about what to do when you suspect you’ve been hacked and how to react when you actually see the fraudulent charges on your accounts.

Target has been reaching out to its customer base of the last few weeks announcing that it is providing free identity protection services to any of its customers who would like it. The service is provided by Experian’s ProtectMyID product. This is common practice for any company that has been hacked, particularly those with consumers on the line.

If you shopped at a Target store within that time period, you should monitor your bank and credit card statements daily for potential fraudulent charges. If you see any, call that institution immediately to freeze the account.

Shortly after the news of Target’s hack went public, Neiman Marcus confirmed that it was also investigating a hack with the U.S. Secret Service. It does not look like Neiman Marcus has been called in for a hearing yet.

The committee hopes to better understand “data breaches and their effect on customers” through this and similar data breach hearings.