The VA is dishing out up to $20 million after finally settling a lawsuit from 2006. The Associated Press reported that the lawsuit dealt with a stolen laptop and hard drive. A data analyst at the VA admitted that he lost the laptop and hard drive, and that the data within included names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers of up to 26.5 million veterans and active duty troops.

The only stipulation is that the money will only go to those veterans who have suffered actual harm, such as emotional distress, or who have incurred fees from credit monitoring agencies.

Although the laptop was later returned to the VA, 26.5 million vets and active troops could have been spared the emotional distress, and the VA could have saved $20 million had they employed technology such as that offered by MyLaptopGPS.