When updating a data record identified by a version number, the problem exists that a simple not equal to comparison or greater than comparison is often insufficient for ascertaining the up-to-date nature of the newly received data record, particularly if the data record is transmitted to a receiving station via an unsecured data link and the version number originates from a limited range which is repeatedly run through periodically.The invention solves the problem by virtue of the fact that it divides the range of values of the version number into the ranges “old” and “new”, on the basis of the current value of a version number. The periodicity with which the range of values is run through is taken into account in this case, however. That is to say that the range “old” or the range “new” may perfectly well include the jump from the highest value in the range of values to the lowest value in the range of values. If the version number of the newly received data record lies in the range “new”, the new data record is accepted as a current data record, and if not it is correspondingly rejected.