Crypto password recovery firm Unciphered in turmoil after co-founder’s hidden past emerges

The crypto password-cracking company Unciphered is in turmoil over the surfaced sexual assault allegations of one of its co-founders, Morgan Marquis-Boire.

US intelligence federal agencies like the CIA, NSA, and FBI, which had presented the firm as a key asset to government officials, were also seemingly alarmed by Marquis-Boire’s past indiscretions.

Marquis-Boire was first accused of sexual assault in 2017 and had to take a step back from the public

Marquis-Boire sexual assault accusations first surfaced in 2017, with multiple women coming forward. 

The allegations at the time forced him to retreat from the public eye for some time. Moreover, several companies had even distanced themselves from him, including the interdisciplinary laboratory Citizen Lab.

Citizen Lab even openly criticised the growing “toxic culture of sexual discrimination, harassment, and violence” in the tech industry.

After several companies cut ties with him, Marquis-Boire reportedly helped start and develop Unciphered in secret using the pseudonym “Frank Davidson.” The company’s employees only found out about his involvement in the firm’s development towards the end of 2023.

For the last four years, however, Unciphered has built up a good reputation, specializing in cracking encrypted wallets to recover lost crypto funds. Even high-profile cybersecurity figures, including former NSA general counsel Stewart Baker and security expert Chris Wysopal, took an interest in the company.

Employees doubted whether Marquis-Boire left the company completely in 2024

However, Marquis-Boire’s revealed connections to the company raised concerns about the firm’s reputation and image. The company’s employees especially raised alarms over Marquis-Boire’s past, not wanting to be tied to the man’s past actions and ruin their professional reputations.

Jon Ellch, a former FBI cybersecurity expert, even asked for the company to drop Marquis-Boire. Following multiple other complaints, CEO Eric Michaud resigned, and Marquis-Boire left the company.

However, even after he left the company, employees were still concerned about his lingering connections to the firm. In early 2024, a package addressed to him was delivered to Unciphered’s San Francisco office, renewing fears about his continued influence.

Nevertheless, the company’s administration quickly reassured its workers that Marquis-Boire’s shares were all bought out in February 2024, and he was no longer involved with the company

Meanwhile, in response to the controversy, Unciphered took down all employee names from its website for security reasons.

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