A data verification system facilitates verifying whether a CCN Content Object is authentic or trustworthy on behalf of an application. During operation, the system can obtain a stack requirement for a custom transport stack, which specifies at least a description for a verifier stack component that verifies a Content Object using a key identifier (KeyID) associated with a publisher. The system instantiates the verifier stack component in the custom stack, and can use the custom stack to obtain a verified Content Object. While using the custom stack, the system can push, to the custom stack, an Interest that includes a name for a piece of content and includes a KeyID associated with a content producer. The system then receives, from the custom stack, a Content Object which the verifier stack component has verified is signed by the content producer associated with the KeyID.