Why Are You Worrying About Post-Quantum Standards?

NIST just finalized three post-quantum encryption standards to protect data from future quantum computing threats. On the surface, it looks like progress. In reality, for most of you reading this, it is a distraction.

It's classic compliance theatre. We love talking about existential risks because they allow us to ignore current failures. It’s much more exciting to tell a board that we are preparing for "Q-Day" than it is to admit your subscription billing logic is deceptive or you can't actually produce an accurate financial statement by the SEC deadline.

I spent my early 2000s in the trenches of original SOX implementations. Back then, if you couldn’t prove who had access to a ledger and why, you were done. Today, we have "standards" for everything, yet companies still fail at basic hygiene. Look at this week's news: South Korea just slapped KT with a fine of KRW 54 billion—roughly $39 million—for a data breach. That wasn’t caused by some futuristic quantum computer cracking an algorithm; it was the result of failing to protect existing data.

When I look at a finding, my first question is always: what does this cost you at year-end?

Take InTest Corporation. They just lifted their revenue outlook for 2026 while simultaneously disclosing a weakness in internal controls over financial reporting. That's an absurd way to run a business. You’re telling the market your sales are climbing, but admitting that the machinery used to count those dollars is broken. To me, that isn't growth; it's a liability waiting for a restatement and a plummeting stock price during the audit window.

Then we have Connexa Sports delaying their annual SEC filing. In my world, there is no such thing as "just" a delay. A delayed filing usually means someone found something in the controls that they can’t explain away to an auditor. It's often where the bodies are buried.

The conventional wisdom says we must pivot now toward post-quantum readiness or AI enforcement frameworks—like those currently stalled in Luxembourg—to stay ahead of the curve. I disagree. If you are pivoting your budget and