A method to detect anomalies in a content centric network comprising at least one client computing device, at least one intermediate router (110.1), and at least one content producing device, the method comprising: receiving, by a client computing device, a content object that identifies a secure content catalog based on a name for the catalog and indicates an index number that corresponds to one of the content objects indicated in the catalog; constructing, by the client computing device, an interest for the secure content catalog, wherein the interest indicates the name for the catalog, and wherein the name for the catalog is a hierarchically structured variable length identifier which comprises contiguous name components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level; receiving, by the client computing device, the secure content catalog that indicates a set of content objects and their corresponding digests, wherein the catalog is digitally signed with a private key of a content producing device of the catalog; verifying, by the client computing device, the signature of the catalog based on a public key of the content producing device; constructing, by the client computing device, an interest for a first content object based on the catalog, wherein the interest includes a hierarchically structured variable length identifier which comprises contiguous name components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level and the corresponding digest for the first content object; receiving, by an intermediate node (110.1), the interest and caching the digest before forwarding the interest; transmitting, by the content producing device, the content object in response to receiving the interest; in response to receiving the first content object, verifying, by the intermediate node (110.1), whether it matches the digest included in the previously received interest by comparing a hash of the first content object with the corresponding digest (132.1) included in the previously cached digest; and forwarding the content object in the case of a match and discarding the content object otherwise; in response to receiving the first content object, verifying, by the client computing device, the first content object by comparing a hash of the first content object with the corresponding digest (132.1) included in the previously constructed interest; and accepting the content object in the case of a match and discarding the content object otherwise, and wherein the content producing device of the first content object does not sign the first content object, and wherein the client computing device and the intermediate router do not verify a signature of the content producing device of the first content object, facilitating efficient verification of content objects indicated in the signed catalog. receiving, by a client computing device, a content object that identifies a secure content catalog based on a name for the catalog and indicates an index number that corresponds to one of the content objects indicated in the catalog; constructing, by the client computing device, an interest for the secure content catalog, wherein the interest indicates the name for the catalog, and wherein the name for the catalog is a hierarchically structured variable length identifier which comprises contiguous name components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level; receiving, by the client computing device, the secure content catalog that indicates a set of content objects and their corresponding digests, wherein the catalog is digitally signed with a private key of a content producing device of the catalog; verifying, by the client computing device, the signature of the catalog based on a public key of the content producing device; constructing, by the client computing device, an interest for a first content object based on the catalog, wherein the interest includes a hierarchically structured variable length identifier which comprises contiguous name components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level and the corresponding digest for the first content object; receiving, by an intermediate node (110.1), the interest and caching the digest before forwarding the interest; transmitting, by the content producing device, the content object in response to receiving the interest; in response to receiving the first content object, verifying, by the intermediate node (110.1), whether it matches the digest included in the previously received interest by comparing a hash of the first content object with the corresponding digest (132.1) included in the previously cached digest; and forwarding the content object in the case of a match and discarding the content object otherwise; in response to receiving the first content object, verifying, by the client computing device, the first content object by comparing a hash of the first content object with the corresponding digest (132.1) included in the previously constructed interest; and accepting the content object in the case of a match and discarding the content object otherwise, and wherein the content producing device of the first content object does not sign the first content object, and wherein the client computing device and the intermediate router do not verify a signature of the content producing device of the first content object, facilitating efficient verification of content objects indicated in the signed catalog.