Device for releasing a vehicle component of a vehicle, comprising: at least one interface designed for communication with a plurality of further vehicle components of the vehicle; a control module designed to: control the at least one interface, receive cryptographically-protected messages of the plurality of further vehicle components of the vehicle, verify an identity of the plurality of further vehicle components based upon the received cryptographically-protected messages and based upon stored identification data of the plurality of further vehicle components, wherein the identification data of the plurality of further vehicle components comprise cryptographic information about the plurality of further vehicle components, wherein the verification of the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components is successful if a portion of cryptographically-protected messages, received within a predefined time interval, of the plurality of further vehicle components that are consistent with the stored cryptographic information is greater than a confidence threshold value, wherein the messages upon which the verification of the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components is based are messages used for the normal operation of the vehicle component, and release the vehicle component if the verification of the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components is successful. at least one interface designed for communication with a plurality of further vehicle components of the vehicle; a control module designed to: control the at least one interface, receive cryptographically-protected messages of the plurality of further vehicle components of the vehicle, verify an identity of the plurality of further vehicle components based upon the received cryptographically-protected messages and based upon stored identification data of the plurality of further vehicle components, wherein the identification data of the plurality of further vehicle components comprise cryptographic information about the plurality of further vehicle components, wherein the verification of the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components is successful if a portion of cryptographically-protected messages, received within a predefined time interval, of the plurality of further vehicle components that are consistent with the stored cryptographic information is greater than a confidence threshold value, wherein the messages upon which the verification of the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components is based are messages used for the normal operation of the vehicle component, and release the vehicle component if the verification of the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components is successful. control the at least one interface, receive cryptographically-protected messages of the plurality of further vehicle components of the vehicle, verify an identity of the plurality of further vehicle components based upon the received cryptographically-protected messages and based upon stored identification data of the plurality of further vehicle components, wherein the identification data of the plurality of further vehicle components comprise cryptographic information about the plurality of further vehicle components, wherein the verification of the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components is successful if a portion of cryptographically-protected messages, received within a predefined time interval, of the plurality of further vehicle components that are consistent with the stored cryptographic information is greater than a confidence threshold value, wherein the messages upon which the verification of the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components is based are messages used for the normal operation of the vehicle component, and release the vehicle component if the verification of the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components is successful.