Securing electronic property from unauthorized use

A method for communicating with a plurality of premises devices and controlling activation and deactivation of functionality of a premises device of the plurality of premises devices, the method comprising, while the premises device is deactivated:

• receiving an activation request from the premises device, the activation request including identification data of the premises device;
• determining whether functionality of the premises device is authorized for activation based on the identification data;
• in response to determining the premises device is not authorized for activation, transmitting, to the premises device, a message configured to cause functionality of the premises device to remain deactivated while keeping communication capability of the premises device activated for requesting activation;
• in response to transmission of the message based on the determination that the premises device is not authorized for activation, receive a reply message from the premises device, the reply message indicating a location of the premises device and, if the premises device is not located on the premises, automatically provide a notification to a third party, the notification including the identification data and the location of the premises device;
• and in response to determining the premises device is authorized for activation, one of (a) causing transmission of a message to the premises device, the message configured to cause at least one more function of the premises device to activate while prohibiting activation of at least one other function of the premises device and (b) preventing transmission of a message to the premises device, the prevention indicating whether activation of functionality of the premises device is authorized.

An apparatus locatable at a premises, the apparatus being configured to communicate with a plurality of premises devices and control activation and deactivation of functionality of a premises device of the plurality of premises devices, the apparatus comprising:

• processing circuitry including:
• a processor;
• and
• a memory, the memory configured to store a plurality of identifiers and a plurality of indicators, each identifier corresponding to a respective premises device, each indicator indicating whether functionality of a respective premises device has been flagged for deactivation;
• and the memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to, while the respective premises device is deactivated:
• receive an activation request from the premises device, the activation request including identification data of the premises device;
• determine whether functionality of the premises device is authorized for activation based on the indicator associated with the identification data;
• in response to determining functionality of the premises device is not authorized for activation, cause:
• transmission of a first message to the premises device, the first message configured to cause functionality of the device to remain deactivated while keeping communication capability of the premises device activated for requesting activation;
• in response to transmission of the message based on the determination that the premises device is not authorized for activation, receive a reply message from the premises device, the reply message indicating a location of the premises device and, if the premises device is not located on the premises, automatically provide a notification to a third party, the notification including the identification data and the location of the premises device;
• and
• in response to determining functionality of the premises device is authorized for activation, one of (a) cause transmission of a second message to the premises device, the second message configured to cause activation of at least one more function of the premises device while prohibiting activation of at least one other function of the premises device and (b) prevent a transmission of the second message to the premises device, the prevention indicating whether activation of functionality of the premises device is authorized;
• the memory containing further instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to, while the premises device is activated:
• receive a message indicating functionality of the premises device has been flagged for deactivation, the message indicating an identifier associated with the premises device;
• and
• in response to receiving the message indicating functionality of the premises device has been flagged for deactivation, update the indicator associated with the premises device to indicate functionality of the premises device has been flagged for deactivation.