Security through obscurity is a very valid way to secure something. It shouldn’t be the only way of securing something, but it can be a valid additional layer.

The knock sequence is a secret, just like a password. It may not be a particularly strong secret, but is is strong enough to keep out casual attackers. You’ll still need additional security, but sshd is well equipped to provide that.

I’m not confident it is a Russian op, but Russia has always fueled both sides of the political spectrum. They don’t necessarily want one side to prevail, they just want their opponents to be divided.

In the 1930s, the Netherlands kept detailed records of ethnicity for every citizen. No one thought this was unnecessary, as ethnicity wasn’t something that could ever be used against you.

That line of thought ended when the Germans took over in may 1940. Unfortunately those records still existed, and aided the most efficient genocide in human history. Without those records, many jews, sinti and Roma would’ve been able to deny their ancestry and evade being murdered.

Privacy from government and corporations will one day save lives.

So far he has gotten away with all of the crimes, so it’s really working for him.

Let’s hope the tide is changing on that, but I’m not holding my breath.