diff --git a/tests/test-data.cpp b/tests/test-data.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b833efa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test-data.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,199 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (C) 2013 Regents of the University of California.
+ * See COPYING for copyright and distribution information.
+ */
+
+#include <boost/test/unit_test.hpp>
+
+#include "data.hpp"
+#include "security/key-chain.hpp"
+
+#include <fstream>
+
+#include <cryptopp/rsa.h>
+#include <cryptopp/osrng.h>
+#include <cryptopp/files.h>
+
+using namespace std;
+namespace ndn {
+
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE(TestData)
+
+const uint8_t Content1[] = {0x53, 0x55, 0x43, 0x43, 0x45, 0x53, 0x53, 0x21};
+
+const uint8_t Data1[] = {
+0x04, 0xc5, // NDN Data                           
+    0x01, 0x14, // Name                           
+        0x02, 0x05,    
+            0x6c, 0x6f, 0x63, 0x61, 0x6c,
+        0x02, 0x03,    
+            0x6e, 0x64, 0x6e,
+        0x02, 0x06,    
+            0x70, 0x72, 0x65, 0x66, 0x69, 0x78,
+    0x10, 0x04, // MetaInfo
+        0x15, 0x02, // FreshnessPeriod
+            0x27, 0x10,               
+    0x11, 0x08, // Content            
+        0x53, 0x55, 0x43, 0x43, 0x45, 0x53, 0x53, 0x21,
+    0x12, 0x1b, // SignatureInfo
+        0x16, 0x01, // SignatureType
+            0x01,                   
+        0x17, 0x16, // KeyLocator
+            0x01, 0x14, // Name  
+                0x02, 0x04,    
+                    0x74, 0x65, 0x73, 0x74,
+                0x02, 0x03,    
+                    0x6b, 0x65, 0x79,
+                0x02, 0x07,    
+                    0x6c, 0x6f, 0x63, 0x61, 0x74, 0x6f, 0x72,
+    0x13, 0x80, // SignatureValue
+        0x96, 0xa7, 0x5d, 0x91, 0xc1, 0x1c, 0xa9, 0x96, 0x93, 0x7e, 0x6b, 0x2d, 0x5a, 0x86, 0x98, 0xce, 0x55, 0xb8, 0x4a, 0x91, 0xc6, 0x5d, 0x69, 0x71, 0x47, 0x0c, 0x6b, 0x70, 0xa2, 0x82, 0xef, 0x48, 0x69, 0x24, 0x71, 0xd5, 0xb2, 0xda, 0x6d, 0x26, 0xde, 0x8d, 0xb8, 0x37, 0x8e, 0xd7, 0xc2, 0xd9, 0xad, 0xd9, 0x97, 0xf8, 0xdd, 0xab, 0x36, 0x49, 0x77, 0xff, 0x12, 0x83, 0xa3, 0x0b, 0xf0, 0xac, 0x52, 0x08, 0xb5, 0xa4, 0x67, 0x16, 0x2a, 0x5e, 0x76, 0xc3, 0x06, 0x27, 0x3e, 0x5b, 0x13, 0x26, 0x18, 0x9c, 0x0d, 0x22, 0xb8, 0x9c, 0x24, 0x63, 0x06, 0x73, 0xe8, 0xc1, 0x27, 0x21, 0xe3, 0x92, 0x88, 0x49, 0xf3, 0xc3, 0xa8, 0xc5, 0xa8, 0x74, 0x57, 0xf9, 0xd6, 0x0c, 0x4f, 0x97, 0x9a, 0x7e, 0x7c, 0x03, 0xdb, 0x47, 0x11, 0xa0, 0xaf, 0x67, 0x44, 0x54, 0x66, 0x0e, 0x12, 0xd6, 0x39, 0xb3
+};
+
+
+const unsigned char DEFAULT_PRIVATE_KEY_DER[] = {
+0x30, 0x82, 0x02, 0x74, 0x02, 0x01, 0x00, 0x30, 0x0d, 0x06, 0x09, 0x2a, 0x86, 0x48, 0x86, 0xf7, 0x0d, 0x01, 0x01, 0x01,
+0x05, 0x00, 0x04, 0x82, 0x02, 0x5e, 0x30, 0x82, 0x02, 0x5a, 0x02, 0x01, 0x00, 0x02, 0x81, 0x81, 0x00, 0x9e, 0x06, 0x3e,
+0x47, 0x85, 0xb2, 0x34, 0x37, 0xaa, 0x85, 0x47, 0xac, 0x03, 0x24, 0x83, 0xb5, 0x9c, 0xa8, 0x05, 0x3a, 0x24, 0x1e, 0xeb,
+0x89, 0x01, 0xbb, 0xe9, 0x9b, 0xb2, 0xc3, 0x22, 0xac, 0x68, 0xe3, 0xf0, 0x6c, 0x02, 0xce, 0x68, 0xa6, 0xc4, 0xd0, 0xa7,
+0x06, 0x90, 0x9c, 0xaa, 0x1b, 0x08, 0x1d, 0x8b, 0x43, 0x9a, 0x33, 0x67, 0x44, 0x6d, 0x21, 0xa3, 0x1b, 0x88, 0x9a, 0x97,
+0x5e, 0x59, 0xc4, 0x15, 0x0b, 0xd9, 0x2c, 0xbd, 0x51, 0x07, 0x61, 0x82, 0xad, 0xc1, 0xb8, 0xd7, 0xbf, 0x9b, 0xcf, 0x7d,
+0x24, 0xc2, 0x63, 0xf3, 0x97, 0x17, 0xeb, 0xfe, 0x62, 0x25, 0xba, 0x5b, 0x4d, 0x8a, 0xc2, 0x7a, 0xbd, 0x43, 0x8a, 0x8f,
+0xb8, 0xf2, 0xf1, 0xc5, 0x6a, 0x30, 0xd3, 0x50, 0x8c, 0xc8, 0x9a, 0xdf, 0xef, 0xed, 0x35, 0xe7, 0x7a, 0x62, 0xea, 0x76,
+0x7c, 0xbb, 0x08, 0x26, 0xc7, 0x02, 0x01, 0x11, 0x02, 0x81, 0x80, 0x04, 0xa5, 0xd4, 0xa7, 0xc0, 0x2a, 0xe3, 0x6b, 0x0c,
+0x8b, 0x73, 0x0c, 0x96, 0xae, 0x40, 0x1b, 0xee, 0x04, 0xf1, 0x18, 0x4c, 0x5b, 0x43, 0x29, 0xad, 0x3a, 0x3b, 0x93, 0xa3,
+0x60, 0x17, 0x9b, 0xa8, 0xbb, 0x68, 0xf4, 0x1e, 0x33, 0x3f, 0x50, 0x32, 0xf7, 0x13, 0xf8, 0xa9, 0xe6, 0x7d, 0x79, 0x44,
+0x00, 0xde, 0x72, 0xed, 0xf2, 0x73, 0xfa, 0x7b, 0xae, 0x2a, 0x71, 0xc0, 0x40, 0xc8, 0x37, 0x6f, 0x38, 0xb2, 0x69, 0x1f,
+0xa8, 0x83, 0x7b, 0x42, 0x00, 0x73, 0x46, 0xe6, 0x4c, 0x91, 0x7f, 0x13, 0x06, 0x69, 0x06, 0xd8, 0x3f, 0x22, 0x15, 0x75,
+0xf6, 0xde, 0xcd, 0xb0, 0xbc, 0x66, 0x61, 0x91, 0x08, 0x9b, 0x2b, 0xb2, 0x00, 0xa9, 0x67, 0x05, 0x39, 0x40, 0xb9, 0x37,
+0x85, 0x88, 0x4f, 0x76, 0x79, 0x63, 0xc0, 0x88, 0x3c, 0x86, 0xa8, 0x12, 0x94, 0x5f, 0xe4, 0x36, 0x3d, 0xea, 0xb9, 0x02,
+0x41, 0x00, 0xb6, 0x2e, 0xbb, 0xcd, 0x2f, 0x3a, 0x99, 0xe0, 0xa1, 0xa5, 0x44, 0x77, 0xea, 0x0b, 0xbe, 0x16, 0x95, 0x0e,
+0x64, 0xa7, 0x68, 0xd7, 0x4b, 0x15, 0x15, 0x23, 0xe2, 0x1e, 0x4e, 0x00, 0x2c, 0x22, 0x97, 0xae, 0xb0, 0x74, 0xa6, 0x99,
+0xd0, 0x5d, 0xb7, 0x1b, 0x10, 0x34, 0x13, 0xd2, 0x5f, 0x6e, 0x56, 0xad, 0x85, 0x4a, 0xdb, 0xf0, 0x78, 0xbd, 0xf4, 0x8c,
+0xb7, 0x9a, 0x3e, 0x99, 0xef, 0xb9, 0x02, 0x41, 0x00, 0xde, 0x0d, 0xa7, 0x48, 0x75, 0x90, 0xad, 0x11, 0xa1, 0xac, 0xee,
+0xcb, 0x41, 0x81, 0xc6, 0xc8, 0x7f, 0xe7, 0x25, 0x94, 0xa1, 0x2a, 0x21, 0xa8, 0x57, 0xfe, 0x84, 0xf2, 0x5e, 0xb4, 0x96,
+0x35, 0xaf, 0xef, 0x2e, 0x7a, 0xf8, 0xda, 0x3f, 0xac, 0x8a, 0x3c, 0x1c, 0x9c, 0xbd, 0x44, 0xd6, 0x90, 0xb5, 0xce, 0x1b,
+0x12, 0xf9, 0x3b, 0x8c, 0x69, 0xf6, 0xa9, 0x02, 0x93, 0x48, 0x35, 0x0a, 0x7f, 0x02, 0x40, 0x6b, 0x2a, 0x8c, 0x96, 0xd0,
+0x7c, 0xd2, 0xfc, 0x9b, 0x52, 0x28, 0x46, 0x89, 0xac, 0x8d, 0xef, 0x2a, 0x80, 0xef, 0xea, 0x01, 0x6f, 0x95, 0x93, 0xee,
+0x51, 0x57, 0xd5, 0x97, 0x4b, 0x65, 0x41, 0x86, 0x66, 0xc2, 0x26, 0x80, 0x1e, 0x3e, 0x55, 0x3e, 0x88, 0x63, 0xe2, 0x66,
+0x03, 0x47, 0x31, 0xd8, 0xa2, 0x4e, 0x68, 0x45, 0x24, 0x0a, 0xca, 0x17, 0x61, 0xd5, 0x69, 0xca, 0x78, 0xab, 0x21, 0x02,
+0x41, 0x00, 0x8f, 0xae, 0x7b, 0x4d, 0x00, 0xc7, 0x06, 0x92, 0xf0, 0x24, 0x9a, 0x83, 0x84, 0xbd, 0x62, 0x81, 0xbc, 0x2c,
+0x27, 0x60, 0x2c, 0x0c, 0x33, 0xe5, 0x66, 0x1d, 0x28, 0xd9, 0x10, 0x1a, 0x7f, 0x4f, 0xea, 0x4f, 0x78, 0x6d, 0xb0, 0x14,
+0xbf, 0xc9, 0xff, 0x17, 0xd6, 0x47, 0x4d, 0x4a, 0xa8, 0xf4, 0x39, 0x67, 0x3e, 0xb1, 0xec, 0x8f, 0xf1, 0x71, 0xbd, 0xb8,
+0xa7, 0x50, 0x3d, 0xc7, 0xf7, 0xbb, 0x02, 0x40, 0x0d, 0x85, 0x32, 0x73, 0x9f, 0x0a, 0x33, 0x2f, 0x4b, 0xa2, 0xbd, 0xd1,
+0xb1, 0x42, 0xf0, 0x72, 0xa8, 0x7a, 0xc8, 0x15, 0x37, 0x1b, 0xde, 0x76, 0x70, 0xce, 0xfd, 0x69, 0x20, 0x00, 0x4d, 0xc9,
+0x4f, 0x35, 0x6f, 0xd1, 0x35, 0xa1, 0x04, 0x95, 0x30, 0xe8, 0x3b, 0xd5, 0x03, 0x5a, 0x50, 0x21, 0x6d, 0xa0, 0x84, 0x39,
+0xe9, 0x2e, 0x1e, 0xfc, 0xe4, 0x82, 0x43, 0x20, 0x46, 0x7d, 0x0a, 0xb6
+};
+
+class TestDataFixture
+{
+public:
+  TestDataFixture()
+  {
+    CryptoPP::StringSource source(DEFAULT_PRIVATE_KEY_DER, sizeof(DEFAULT_PRIVATE_KEY_DER), true);
+    privateKey_.Load(source);
+    publicKey_ = privateKey_;
+  }
+
+protected:
+  CryptoPP::AutoSeededRandomPool rng_;
+  CryptoPP::RSA::PrivateKey privateKey_;
+  CryptoPP::RSA::PublicKey  publicKey_;
+};
+
+
+BOOST_FIXTURE_TEST_CASE (Decode, TestDataFixture)
+{
+  Block dataBlock(Data1, sizeof(Data1));
+  
+  ndn::Data d;
+  // BOOST_REQUIRE_NO_THROW
+    (d.wireDecode(dataBlock));
+
+  BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(d.getName().toUri(), "/local/ndn/prefix");
+  BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(d.getContentType(), static_cast<uint32_t>(MetaInfo::TYPE_DEFAULT));
+  BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(d.getFreshnessPeriod(), 10000);
+
+  BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(std::string(reinterpret_cast<const char*>(d.getContent().value()), d.getContent().value_size()), "SUCCESS!");
+
+  BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(d.getSignature().getType(), static_cast<uint32_t>(Signature::Sha256WithRsa));
+  ndn::Block block = d.getSignature().getInfo();
+  block.parse();
+  KeyLocator keyLocator;
+  BOOST_REQUIRE_NO_THROW(keyLocator.wireDecode(block.get(Tlv::KeyLocator)));
+  
+  BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(keyLocator.getName().toUri(), "/test/key/locator");
+
+  using namespace CryptoPP;  
+  RSASS<PKCS1v15, SHA256>::Verifier verifier(publicKey_);
+  bool signatureVerified = verifier.VerifyMessage(d.wireEncode().value(), d.wireEncode().value_size() - d.getSignature().getValue().size(),
+                                                  d.getSignature().getValue().value(), d.getSignature().getValue().value_size());
+  BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL(signatureVerified, true);
+}
+
+BOOST_FIXTURE_TEST_CASE (Encode, TestDataFixture)
+{
+  // manual data packet creation for now
+  
+  ndn::Data d(ndn::Name("/local/ndn/prefix"));
+  d.setContentType(MetaInfo::TYPE_DEFAULT);
+  d.setFreshnessPeriod(10000);
+  
+  d.setContent(Content1, sizeof(Content1));
+
+  Block signatureInfo(Tlv::SignatureInfo);
+  // SignatureType
+  {
+    signatureInfo.push_back
+      (nonNegativeIntegerBlock(Tlv::SignatureType, Signature::Sha256WithRsa));
+  }
+  // KeyLocator
+  {
+    KeyLocator keyLocator;
+    keyLocator.setName("/test/key/locator");
+    
+    signatureInfo.push_back(keyLocator.wireEncode());
+  }
+  signatureInfo.encode();
+
+  // SignatureValue
+  OBufferStream os;
+  Tlv::writeVarNumber(os, Tlv::SignatureValue);
+
+  using namespace CryptoPP;
+  
+  RSASS<PKCS1v15, SHA256>::Signer signer(privateKey_);
+
+  int i = 0;
+  PK_MessageAccumulator *hash = signer.NewSignatureAccumulator(rng_);
+  hash->Update(d.getName().    wireEncode().wire(), d.getName().    wireEncode().size());
+  hash->Update(d.getMetaInfo().wireEncode().wire(), d.getMetaInfo().wireEncode().size());
+  hash->Update(d.getContent().              wire(), d.getContent().              size());
+  hash->Update(signatureInfo.               wire(), signatureInfo.               size());
+  
+  size_t length = signer.MaxSignatureLength();
+  SecByteBlock buf(length);
+  signer.Sign(rng_, hash, buf);
+
+  Tlv::writeVarNumber(os, buf.size());
+  os.write(reinterpret_cast<const char *> (buf.BytePtr()), buf.size());
+
+  ndn::Block signatureValue (Block(os.buf()));
+  
+  Signature signature(signatureInfo, signatureValue);
+
+  d.setSignature(signature);
+
+  Block dataBlock;
+  BOOST_REQUIRE_NO_THROW(dataBlock = d.wireEncode());
+
+  BOOST_REQUIRE_EQUAL_COLLECTIONS(Data1, Data1+sizeof(Data1),
+                                  dataBlock.begin(), dataBlock.end());
+
+
+}
+
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE_END()
+
+} // namespace ndn