A method for securely providing data of a field device of automation technology over its entire life cycle, wherein the life cycle of the field device already begins before its manufacture, the field device being present as a field device type before its manufacture, and the field device being present as at least one field device instance at the start of its production, each field device instance being derived from the field device type, and wherein each field device type and each field device instance is represented by a respective own entity which is made identifiable by means of a cryptographic identity by generating for each entity an asymmetric key pair comprising a public and a private key, and to which an address or a hash value operating as an address is assigned, comprising the further steps of: - (a) generating data pertaining to the field device instance, - b) generating a second hash value based on the data generated in step a) using a cryptographic hash function, - c) generating a revision state, - d) storing the data generated in step a) and the second hash value generated in step b) as payload data in the revision state generated in step c), - e) generating a third hash value based on the revision state using a cryptographic hash function, the third hash value serving as the address of the revision state, - f) generating a data object, - g) storing the revision state and the third hash value in the data object generated in step f), and - h) storing the data object in a decentralized distributed content-addressed storage system, wherein in step d), in the case of a field device instance newly derived from the field device type, the third hash value of the revision state of the field device type is stored as additional data in the revision state of this field device instance generated in step c) in addition to the user data. wherein the life cycle of the field device already begins before its manufacture, the field device being present as a field device type before its manufacture, and the field device being present as at least one field device instance at the start of its production, each field device instance being derived from the field device type, and wherein each field device type and each field device instance is represented by a respective own entity which is made identifiable by means of a cryptographic identity by generating for each entity an asymmetric key pair comprising a public and a private key, and to which an address or a hash value operating as an address is assigned, comprising the further steps of: - (a) generating data pertaining to the field device instance, - b) generating a second hash value based on the data generated in step a) using a cryptographic hash function, - c) generating a revision state, - d) storing the data generated in step a) and the second hash value generated in step b) as payload data in the revision state generated in step c), - e) generating a third hash value based on the revision state using a cryptographic hash function, the third hash value serving as the address of the revision state, - f) generating a data object, - g) storing the revision state and the third hash value in the data object generated in step f), and - h) storing the data object in a decentralized distributed content-addressed storage system, - (a) generating data pertaining to the field device instance, - b) generating a second hash value based on the data generated in step a) using a cryptographic hash function, - c) generating a revision state, - d) storing the data generated in step a) and the second hash value generated in step b) as payload data in the revision state generated in step c), - e) generating a third hash value based on the revision state using a cryptographic hash function, the third hash value serving as the address of the revision state, - f) generating a data object, - g) storing the revision state and the third hash value in the data object generated in step f), and - h) storing the data object in a decentralized distributed content-addressed storage system, wherein in step d), in the case of a field device instance newly derived from the field device type, the third hash value of the revision state of the field device type is stored as additional data in the revision state of this field device instance generated in step c) in addition to the user data.