A method for protecting an integrated circuit against unauthorized access to key registers, wherein functions and/or applications of the integrated circuit are unlocked and/or activated via data stored in key registers, such as during the start-up of the integrated circuit and/or during ongoing operation, where if such a key register is accessed, the data word used to perform the access is compared with specified key data, and if access via a data word deviating from the specified key data is detected, the access is marked as unauthorized, the access marked as unauthorized is then recorded and evaluated, and after the analysis, appropriate protective measures are triggered to prevent further unauthorized access such that a key register method for protecting sensitive data is expanded in a simple manner and hacker attacks are quickly detected and thwarted.