I believe it applies, as someone who doesn't know much about crypto AND is interested in protecting myself, this small tidbit of information moves me closer to being an aware and self-defensive computer user.

Any bad guys with sufficient ambition and intelligence are going to get as far as they're going to get, and if you're afraid of talking in public because a "bad guy" might overhear you and become smarter, you really are living on the wrong side of matters.