diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 19093d7..f34b4b5 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
   <groupId>com.intel.jndn.utils</groupId>
   <artifactId>jndn-utils</artifactId>
-  <version>1.1.0</version>
+  <version>1.1.1</version>
   <name>jndn-utils</name>
   <description>Collection of tools to simplify synchronous and asynchronous data transfer over the NDN network
   </description>
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/impl/KeyChainFactory.java b/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/impl/KeyChainFactory.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d8fdc59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/com/intel/jndn/utils/impl/KeyChainFactory.java
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+/*
+ * ******************************************************************************
+ *
+ * INTEL CONFIDENTIAL
+ *
+ * Copyright 2013 - 2016 Intel Corporation All Rights Reserved.
+ *
+ * The source code contained or described herein and all documents related to
+ * the source code ("Material") are owned by Intel Corporation or its suppliers
+ * or licensors. Title to the Material remains with Intel Corporation or its
+ * suppliers and licensors. The Material contains trade secrets and proprietary
+ * and confidential information of Intel or its suppliers and licensors. The
+ * Material is protected by worldwide copyright and trade secret laws and treaty
+ * provisions. No part of the Material may be used, copied, reproduced,
+ * modified, published, uploaded, posted, transmitted, distributed, or disclosed
+ * in any way without Intel's prior express written permission.
+ *
+ * No license under any patent, copyright, trade secret or other intellectual
+ * property right is granted to or conferred upon you by disclosure or delivery
+ * of the Materials, either expressly, by implication, inducement, estoppel or
+ * otherwise. Any license under such intellectual property rights must be
+ * express and approved by Intel in writing.
+ *
+ * Unless otherwise agreed by Intel in writing, you may not remove or alter this
+ * notice or any other notice embedded in Materials by Intel or Intel's
+ * suppliers or licensors in any way.
+ *
+ * ******************************************************************************
+ */
+
+package com.intel.jndn.utils.impl;
+
+import net.named_data.jndn.Name;
+import net.named_data.jndn.security.KeyChain;
+import net.named_data.jndn.security.certificate.IdentityCertificate;
+import net.named_data.jndn.security.identity.BasicIdentityStorage;
+import net.named_data.jndn.security.identity.FilePrivateKeyStorage;
+import net.named_data.jndn.security.identity.IdentityManager;
+import net.named_data.jndn.security.identity.IdentityStorage;
+import net.named_data.jndn.security.identity.MemoryIdentityStorage;
+import net.named_data.jndn.security.identity.MemoryPrivateKeyStorage;
+import net.named_data.jndn.security.identity.PrivateKeyStorage;
+import net.named_data.jndn.security.policy.SelfVerifyPolicyManager;
+
+/**
+ * Utility class for creating NDN key chains necessary for signing packets.
+ *
+ * @author Andrew Brown, andrew.brown@intel.com
+ */
+public class KeyChainFactory {
+    /**
+     * Build and configure an NDN {@link KeyChain} from the file system; looks in the ~/.ndn folder for keys and
+     * identity SQLite DB.
+     *
+     * @param deviceName the identity of the device; this identity will be created if it does not exist
+     * @return a configured {@link KeyChain}
+     * @throws net.named_data.jndn.security.SecurityException if key chain creation fails
+     */
+    public static KeyChain configureKeyChain(Name deviceName) throws net.named_data.jndn.security.SecurityException {
+        // access key chain in ~/.ndn; creates if necessary
+        PrivateKeyStorage keyStorage = new FilePrivateKeyStorage();
+        IdentityStorage identityStorage = new BasicIdentityStorage();
+        KeyChain keyChain = new KeyChain(new IdentityManager(identityStorage, keyStorage),
+                new SelfVerifyPolicyManager(identityStorage));
+
+        // create keys, certs if necessary
+        if (!identityStorage.doesIdentityExist(deviceName)) {
+            Name certificateName = keyChain.createIdentityAndCertificate(deviceName);
+            Name keyName = IdentityCertificate.certificateNameToPublicKeyName(certificateName);
+            keyChain.setDefaultKeyForIdentity(keyName);
+        }
+
+        // set default identity
+        keyChain.getIdentityManager().setDefaultIdentity(deviceName);
+
+        return keyChain;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Retrieve an in-memory test key chain. Similar to {@link #configureKeyChain(Name)} but does not interact with
+     * file system; use this for testing.
+     *
+     * @param name the identity of the device; will be created because the key chain is in memory
+     * @return a configured {@link KeyChain} with the created identity as default.
+     * @throws net.named_data.jndn.security.SecurityException if key chain creation fails
+     */
+    public static KeyChain configureTestKeyChain(Name name) throws net.named_data.jndn.security.SecurityException {
+        // access key chain in ~/.ndn; create if necessary
+        PrivateKeyStorage keyStorage = new MemoryPrivateKeyStorage();
+        IdentityStorage identityStorage = new MemoryIdentityStorage();
+        KeyChain keyChain = new KeyChain(new IdentityManager(identityStorage, keyStorage),
+                new SelfVerifyPolicyManager(identityStorage));
+
+        // create keys, certs if necessary
+        if (!identityStorage.doesIdentityExist(name)) {
+            Name certName = keyChain.createIdentityAndCertificate(name);
+            Name keyName = IdentityCertificate.certificateNameToPublicKeyName(certName);
+            keyChain.setDefaultKeyForIdentity(keyName, name);
+        }
+
+        // set default identity
+        keyChain.getIdentityManager().setDefaultIdentity(name);
+
+        return keyChain;
+    }
+}
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