An electronic anomaly detection unit for use in a vehicle includes an input component for capturing an input variable, wherein the input variable contains state information for at least one component of the vehicle, a memory component for storing state values based on the input variable, a selection component for selecting selected state values from the stored state values, an association component for associating the selected state values with predefined values, wherein the predefined values define a normal state of the component of the vehicle, and a decision component for deciding whether there is an anomalous behavior in the at least one component of the vehicle, based on the association, wherein one or more of the input component, the memory component, the selection component, the association component and the decision component are implemented in hardware.