Sony Network Head Schaff To Testify Before Congress

Sony Network Entertainment president Tim Schaff will appear before a House of Representatives subcommittee to answers questions regarding breaches in customers' personal data. Sony previously declined a request to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee's subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, instead sending Congress a letter addressing many questions about the timeline of the attack and Sony's internal investigation. But The Atlantic reports Schaff will appear before the subcommittee next week, to address a series of follow-up questions sent by chairwoman Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.), who continues to hold hearings into data security breaches at Sony and other companies. "While Chairman Bono Mack remains critical of Sony's initial handling of the data breaches, she also is appreciative that the company has now agreed to testify," subcommittee aide Ken Johnson told The Atlantic. "We expect to introduce that legislation, which will provide new safeguards for American consumers, in the next few weeks." Sony faced criticism for waiting nearly a week to tell the public after it first learned hackers had potentially gained access to personal information on its PSN servers last month, a delay the company said was designed to avoid creating public confusion before the initial investigation was complete. The attack on Sony's network infrastructure has also prompted Australia to take a renewed look at its privacy laws, with privacy minister Brendan O'Connor suggesting a new mandatory notification system for such breaches. Sony also faces a reported subpoena from the state of New York and questions from the UK's Information Commissioner, as well as a number of class action lawsuits over the matter.