An authentication method for linked data is provided, which does away with the conventional requirement for secure authentication of every item of data using public key encryption or Message Access Codes. A subscriber to an indexed event announcement channel can access a first item of information which contains pointers to other items of information in which the user might be interested. A hash value of the pointed-to information is also provided in addition to the pointers themselves. In order to provide for authentication of the pointed-to information, the user authenticates the first item of information using a secure heavyweight authentication technique, and then uses the hash values of the pointed-to information contained in the first item of information to authenticate the pointed-to information when the user accesses it.