An automation system, comprising: - A first system part, consisting of a large number of field devices and a higher-level unit (ÜE), said field devices being configured to record measured values of at least one physical variable of a process engineering process and/or to influence at least one physical variable of the process engineering process, wherein the field devices are in communication with each other and with the higher-level unit (ÜE) via a communication network, wherein the field devices are configured to transmit data, in particular the measured values, status values, and/or diagnostic data, to the higher-level unit (ÜE), and wherein the higher-level unit (ÜE) is configured to transmit data, in particular control values and/or operating telegrams, to the field devices; - an edge device, which is part of the communication network, wherein the edge device is configured to listen to at least part of the data transmitted by the field devices and by the higher-level unit (ÜE) and/or to query further data from the field devices and/or from the higher-level unit (ÜE), wherein the edge device is configured to generate a live list, which contains an identification for each of the field devices and the data currently being queried or listened to, wherein the edge device is configured to simulate a large number of virtual field devices (FG'), to generate data for the virtual field devices (FG'), to enter the identifications for the virtual field devices (FG') and the generated data into the live list, and to make the live list available via a first interface, in particular an application programming interface; - a cloud-based service platform, wherein the edge device is in communication with the cloud-based service platform via the Internet using a first communication channel, wherein the edge device is configured to transmit the current data being interrogated or listened to at regular intervals as a live list to the cloud-based service platform, so that in the event that an attacker succeeds in breaking the connection between the edge device and the cloud-based service platform, the attacker is shown a large number of field devices and their data, only a fraction of which are actually used in the first system part, and wherein the cloud-based service platform is configured to prepare and/or present the live list in such a way that the data from the virtual field devices (FG') is not taken into account, and only the field devices and their data that are actually contained in the first system part are presented to a user of the cloud-based service platform. - A first system part, consisting of a large number of field devices and a higher-level unit (ÜE), said field devices being configured to record measured values of at least one physical variable of a process engineering process and/or to influence at least one physical variable of the process engineering process, wherein the field devices are in communication with each other and with the higher-level unit (ÜE) via a communication network, wherein the field devices are configured to transmit data, in particular the measured values, status values, and/or diagnostic data, to the higher-level unit (ÜE), and wherein the higher-level unit (ÜE) is configured to transmit data, in particular control values and/or operating telegrams, to the field devices; - an edge device, which is part of the communication network, wherein the edge device is configured to listen to at least part of the data transmitted by the field devices and by the higher-level unit (ÜE) and/or to query further data from the field devices and/or from the higher-level unit (ÜE), wherein the edge device is configured to generate a live list, which contains an identification for each of the field devices and the data currently being queried or listened to, wherein the edge device is configured to simulate a large number of virtual field devices (FG'), to generate data for the virtual field devices (FG'), to enter the identifications for the virtual field devices (FG') and the generated data into the live list, and to make the live list available via a first interface, in particular an application programming interface; - a cloud-based service platform, wherein the edge device is in communication with the cloud-based service platform via the Internet using a first communication channel,