Distributed data storage device comprising - a plurality of storage units, each having a storage means and an access control, the access control being configured such that a request arriving via a communication connection does not obtain direct access to the storage means, - an authentication device having a keystore and a validation device, at least one electronic reference key being stored in the keystore of the authentication device, - a sequence control having a sequence control module and an access monitoring device, - the sequence control - being configured to process a request from a data terminal and to retrieve the appropriate information from the storage units and transmit said information to the data terminal, - being connected for communication to the storage units and to the authentication device, and - the access monitoring device comprising an access control module and its own storage unit, characterised in that - at least one first unique electronic key for each storage unit is stored in the storage units, which key corresponds to the electronic reference key in the authentication device stored in the keystore, the storage units - being arranged so as to be distributed, - being configured such that no relationships between data units are stored in the storage units and - when a storage unit is accessed by the sequence control, the first unique electronic key of the storage unit being read out and checked by the authentication device for the purpose of authentication, - an assignment table and execute statements being stored in the storage means of the storage unit of the access monitoring device, the assignment table producing a relationship between the individual storage units of the access monitoring device, the access monitoring device comprising a further storage unit, in the storage means of which execute statements are stored, and in that the storage unit of the data units and the storage unit of the assignment table and the storage unit of the execute statements must be correctly identified by the authentication device in order to enable access. - a plurality of storage units, each having a storage means and an access control, the access control being configured such that a request arriving via a communication connection does not obtain direct access to the storage means, - an authentication device having a keystore and a validation device, at least one electronic reference key being stored in the keystore of the authentication device, - a sequence control having a sequence control module and an access monitoring device, - the sequence control - being configured to process a request from a data terminal and to retrieve the appropriate information from the storage units and transmit said information to the data terminal, - being connected for communication to the storage units and to the authentication device, and - being configured to process a request from a data terminal and to retrieve the appropriate information from the storage units and transmit said information to the data terminal, - being connected for communication to the storage units and to the authentication device, and - the access monitoring device comprising an access control module and its own storage unit, characterised in that - at least one first unique electronic key for each storage unit is stored in the storage units, which key corresponds to the electronic reference key in the authentication device stored in the keystore, the storage units - being arranged so as to be distributed, - being configured such that no relationships between data units are stored in the storage units and - when a storage unit is accessed by the sequence control, the first unique electronic key of the storage unit being read out and checked by the authentication device for the purpose of authentication, - an assignment table and execute statements being stored in the storage means of the storage unit of the access monitoring device, the assignment table producing a relationship between the individual storage units of the access monitoring device, - being arranged so as to be distributed, - being configured such that no relationships between data units are stored in the storage units and - when a storage unit is accessed by the sequence control, the first unique electronic key of the storage unit being read out and checked by the authentication device for the purpose of authentication, - an assignment table and execute statements being stored in the storage means of the storage unit of the access monitoring device, the assignment table producing a relationship between the individual storage units of the access monitoring device,