A computer system can send a secure request over a named-data network to a remote device by generating an Interest with encrypted name components. During operation, the computer system can receive or obtain a request for data, such as from a local user or from a local application. If the system cannot satisfy the request locally, the system can determine at least a routable prefix and a name suffix associated with the request. The system can generate the secure Interest for the request by determining an encryption key that corresponds to a session with the remote computer system, and encrypts the name suffix using the session encryption key. The system then generates an Interest whose name includes the routable prefix and the encrypted name suffix, and disseminates the Interest over a named-data network to send the request to the remote computer system.