In order to provide simple, fast, and reliable verification of the functioning and processing of an automation task in the form of software in a multi-channel safety-oriented automation component (1), the software (SW1) is run in one channel (K1) of the automation component (1) in an active unit (P1) of the hardware of the channel (K1), and first diversity software (SW3) redundant relative to the software (SW1) is run in a verification unit (V1) in this channel (K1), wherein in a processing step (Z1) input data (Ez) associated with the software (SW1) and first output data (Az) computed by the software (SW1) in this processing step (Z1) are temporarily stored in a memory unit (M1), and the diversity software (SW3) in the verification unit (V1) computes second output data (Az′) based on the stored input data (Ez) independently of the processing of the software (SW1) in the active unit (P1), and the second output data (Az′) computed by the diversity software (SW3) is compared with the stored first output data (Az) of the software (SW1) in order to verify the processing.