diff --git a/src/sync-socket.cc b/src/sync-socket.cc
index 9d3dc77..1188441 100644
--- a/src/sync-socket.cc
+++ b/src/sync-socket.cc
@@ -33,9 +33,9 @@
 SyncSocket::SyncSocket (const Name& syncPrefix,
                         const ndn::Name& dataPrefix,
                         uint64_t dataSession,
+                        shared_ptr<Face> face,
                         const IdentityCertificate& myCertificate,
                         shared_ptr<SecRuleRelative> dataRule,
-                        shared_ptr<Face> face,
                         NewDataCallback dataCallback, 
                         RemoveCallback rmCallback )
   : m_dataPrefix(dataPrefix)
@@ -44,18 +44,30 @@
   , m_myCertificate(myCertificate)
   , m_face(face)
   , m_ioService(face->ioService())
-  , m_syncValidator(new SyncValidator(syncPrefix, 
-                                      m_myCertificate, 
-                                      m_face, 
-                                      bind(&SyncSocket::publishData, this, _1, _2, _3, true),
-                                      dataRule))
-  , m_syncLogic (syncPrefix,
-                 myCertificate,
-                 m_syncValidator,
-                 face,
-                 bind(&SyncSocket::passCallback, this, _1),
-                 rmCallback)
-{}
+{
+  if(static_cast<bool>(dataRule))
+    {
+      m_withSecurity = true;
+      m_syncValidator = shared_ptr<Validator>(new SyncValidator(syncPrefix, 
+                                                                m_myCertificate, 
+                                                                m_face, 
+                                                                bind(&SyncSocket::publishData, this, _1, _2, _3, true),
+                                                                dataRule));
+    }
+  else
+    {
+      m_withSecurity = false;
+      m_syncValidator = shared_ptr<Validator>(new ValidatorNull());
+    }
+
+  
+  m_syncLogic = shared_ptr<SyncLogic>(new SyncLogic(syncPrefix,
+                                                    myCertificate,
+                                                    m_syncValidator,
+                                                    m_face,
+                                                    bind(&SyncSocket::passCallback, this, _1),
+                                                    rmCallback));
+}
 
 SyncSocket::~SyncSocket()
 {
@@ -88,7 +100,7 @@
   SeqNo s(session, sequence + 1);
 
   m_sequenceLog[prefix] = s;
-  m_syncLogic.addLocalNames (prefix, session, sequence);
+  m_syncLogic->addLocalNames (prefix, session, sequence);
 }
 
 void 
@@ -153,10 +165,13 @@
   if(data->getName().size() > interestNameSize 
      && data->getName().get(interestNameSize).toEscapedString() == "INTRO-CERT")
     {
+      if(!m_withSecurity) 
+        return;
+
       Data rawData;
       rawData.wireDecode(data->getContent().blockFromValue());
       IntroCertificate introCert(rawData);
-      m_syncValidator->addParticipant(introCert);
+      dynamic_pointer_cast<SyncValidator>(m_syncValidator)->addParticipant(introCert);
     }
   else
     {
diff --git a/src/sync-socket.h b/src/sync-socket.h
index 72df7ab..19fac0d 100644
--- a/src/sync-socket.h
+++ b/src/sync-socket.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 
 #include <ndn-cpp-dev/face.hpp>
 #include <ndn-cpp-dev/security/validator.hpp>
+#include <ndn-cpp-dev/security/validator-null.hpp>
 #include <ndn-cpp-dev/security/key-chain.hpp>
 
 #include "sync-logic.h"
@@ -43,15 +44,17 @@
 class SyncSocket
 {
 public:
+  struct Error : public std::runtime_error { Error(const std::string &what) : std::runtime_error(what) {} };
+
   typedef ndn::function< void (const std::vector<MissingDataInfo> &, SyncSocket * ) > NewDataCallback;
   typedef ndn::function< void (const std::string &/*prefix*/ ) > RemoveCallback;
 
   SyncSocket (const ndn::Name& syncPrefix, 
               const ndn::Name& dataPrefix,
               uint64_t dataSession,
+              ndn::shared_ptr<ndn::Face> face,
               const ndn::IdentityCertificate& myCertificate,
               ndn::shared_ptr<ndn::SecRuleRelative> dataRule,
-              ndn::shared_ptr<ndn::Face> face,
               NewDataCallback dataCallback, 
               RemoveCallback rmCallback);
 
@@ -63,7 +66,7 @@
   void 
   remove (const ndn::Name &prefix) 
   { 
-    m_syncLogic.remove(prefix); 
+    m_syncLogic->remove(prefix); 
   }
 
   void 
@@ -72,7 +75,7 @@
   std::string 
   getRootDigest() 
   { 
-    return m_syncLogic.getRootDigest(); 
+    return m_syncLogic->getRootDigest(); 
   }
 
   uint64_t
@@ -92,13 +95,44 @@
   SyncLogic &
   getLogic () 
   { 
-    return m_syncLogic; 
+    return *m_syncLogic; 
   }
 
   void
   addParticipant(const ndn::IdentityCertificate& introducee)
   {
-    ndn::shared_ptr<const IntroCertificate> introCert = m_syncValidator->addParticipant(introducee);
+    if(m_withSecurity)
+      {
+        ndn::dynamic_pointer_cast<SyncValidator>(m_syncValidator)->addParticipant(introducee);
+      }
+  }
+
+  void
+  addParticipant(const IntroCertificate& introCert)
+  {
+    if(m_withSecurity)
+      {
+        ndn::dynamic_pointer_cast<SyncValidator>(m_syncValidator)->addParticipant(introCert);
+      }
+  }
+
+  void
+  getIntroCertNames(std::vector<ndn::Name>& list)
+  {
+    if(m_withSecurity)
+      {
+        ndn::dynamic_pointer_cast<SyncValidator>(m_syncValidator)->getIntroCertNames(list);
+      }
+  }
+
+  const IntroCertificate&
+  getIntroCertificate(const ndn::Name& name)
+  {
+    if(m_withSecurity)
+      {
+        return ndn::dynamic_pointer_cast<SyncValidator>(m_syncValidator)->getIntroCertificate(name);
+      }
+    throw Error("You are running SyncSocket without security!");
   }
 
   // // make this a static function so we don't have to create socket instance without
@@ -150,8 +184,9 @@
   ndn::KeyChain m_keyChain;
   ndn::shared_ptr<ndn::Face> m_face;
   ndn::shared_ptr<boost::asio::io_service> m_ioService;
-  ndn::shared_ptr<SyncValidator> m_syncValidator;
-  SyncLogic      m_syncLogic;
+  bool m_withSecurity;
+  ndn::shared_ptr<ndn::Validator> m_syncValidator;
+  ndn::shared_ptr<SyncLogic>      m_syncLogic;
 };
 
 } // Sync
diff --git a/src/sync-validator.h b/src/sync-validator.h
index 7a6fc8f..00c92c8 100644
--- a/src/sync-validator.h
+++ b/src/sync-validator.h
@@ -80,6 +80,9 @@
   inline void
   getIntroCertNames(std::vector<ndn::Name>& list);
 
+  inline const IntroCertificate&
+  getIntroCertificate(const ndn::Name& name);
+
 #ifdef _TEST
   bool
   canTrust(const ndn::Name& certName)
@@ -312,6 +315,16 @@
     list.push_back(it->first);
 }
 
+inline const IntroCertificate&
+SyncValidator::getIntroCertificate(const ndn::Name& name)
+{
+  Edges::const_iterator it = m_introCerts.find(name);
+  if(it != m_introCerts.end())
+    return it->second;
+  else
+    throw Error("No cert");
+}
+
 } // namespace Sync
 
 #endif //SYNC_VALIDATOR_H
diff --git a/tests/test-socket.cc b/tests/test-socket.cc
index a10a2f1..400e289 100644
--- a/tests/test-socket.cc
+++ b/tests/test-socket.cc
@@ -163,9 +163,9 @@
     m_s1 = ndn::make_shared<SyncSocket>("/let/us/sync",
                                         "/irl.cs.ucla.edu",
                                         0,
+                                        m_face1,
                                         *m_id1,
                                         m_rule,
-                                        m_face1,
                                         bind(&TestSocketApp::fetchAll, &m_a1, _1, _2), 
                                         bind(&TestSocketApp::pass, &m_a1, _1));
     m_s1->addParticipant(*m_id2);
@@ -179,9 +179,9 @@
     m_s2 = ndn::make_shared<SyncSocket>("/let/us/sync",
                                         "/yakshi.org",
                                         0,
+                                        m_face2,
                                         *m_id2,
                                         m_rule,
-                                        m_face2,
                                         bind(&TestSocketApp::fetchAll, &m_a2, _1, _2), 
                                         bind(&TestSocketApp::pass, &m_a2, _1));
     m_s2->addParticipant(*m_id1);
@@ -196,9 +196,9 @@
     m_s3 = ndn::make_shared<SyncSocket>("/let/us/sync",
                                         "/google.com",
                                         0,
+                                        m_face3,
                                         *m_id3,
-                                        m_rule, 
-                                        m_face3, 
+                                        m_rule,  
                                         bind(&TestSocketApp::fetchAll, &m_a3, _1, _2), 
                                         bind(&TestSocketApp::pass, &m_a3, _1));
     m_s3->addParticipant(*m_id2);
@@ -306,9 +306,9 @@
     m_s1 = ndn::make_shared<SyncSocket>("/this/is/the/prefix",
                                         "/xiaonei.com",
                                         0,
+                                        m_face1,
                                         *m_id1,
                                         m_rule,
-                                        m_face1,
                                         bind(&TestSocketApp::fetchNumbers, &m_a1, _1, _2), 
                                         bind(&TestSocketApp::pass, &m_a1, _1));
 
@@ -323,9 +323,9 @@
     m_s2 = ndn::make_shared<SyncSocket>("/this/is/the/prefix",
                                         "/mitbbs.com",
                                         0,
+                                        m_face2,
                                         *m_id2,
                                         m_rule,
-                                        m_face2,
                                         bind(&TestSocketApp::fetchNumbers, &m_a2, _1, _2), 
                                         bind(&TestSocketApp::pass, &m_a2, _1));