Emergency lockdown in a local network of interconnected devices

An apparatus comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a network interface configured for communication with one or more gateway computing devices and configured for communication with a plurality of electronic locks through the one or more gateway computing devices, wherein each electronic lock of the plurality of electronic locks stores a unique encryption key specific to that electronic lock;
• memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
• transmit, via the network interface and to the plurality of electronic locks, a shared encryption key,
• encrypt, using the shared encryption key, an instruction to obtain an encrypted instruction, wherein the instruction is either a locking instruction or an unlocking instruction, and
• transmit, via the network interface and to the plurality of electronic locks through the one or more gateway computing devices, the encrypted instruction;
• and
• wherein receipt of the encrypted instruction by one of the electronic locks of the plurality of electronic locks causes that electronic lock to attempt decryption of the encrypted instruction using the shared encryption key.

An electronic lock comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a network interface configured for communication with a gateway computing device and configured for communication with a server computing device through the gateway computing device;
• a data store storing a unique encryption key specific to the electronic lock;
• memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic lock to:
• store, in the data store, a shared encryption key received from the server computing device, wherein the shared encryption key is an encryption key shared with the electronic lock and at least a second electronic lock,
• receive, via the network interface and from the server computing device, an encrypted instruction,
• attempt, using the shared encryption key, decryption of the encrypted instruction, and
• execute an instruction obtained upon successful decryption of the encrypted instruction to toggle to either a lock state or an unlock state based on the instruction.

A method comprising:

• in a network comprising a server computing device, one or more gateway computing devices, and a plurality of electronic locks, wherein each electronic lock stores a unique encryption key specific to that electronic lock, and wherein each electronic lock is in signal communication with the server computing device through one of the one or more gateway computing devices:
• transmitting, by the server computing device and to the plurality of electronic locks, a shared encryption key,
• encrypting, by the server computing device, an instruction using the shared encryption key to obtain an encrypted instruction, wherein the instruction is either a locking instruction or an unlocking instruction, and
• transmitting, by the server computing device and to the plurality of electronic locks through the one or more gateway computing devices, the encrypted instruction;
• and
• wherein receipt of the encrypted instruction by one of the electronic locks of the plurality of electronic locks causes that electronic lock to attempt decryption of the encrypted instruction using the shared encryption key.

A method comprising:

• in a network comprising a server computing device, one or more gateway computing devices, and a plurality of electronic locks, wherein each electronic lock stores a unique encryption key specific to that electronic lock, and wherein each electronic lock is in signal communication with the server computing device through one of the one or more gateway computing devices:
• storing, by each electronic lock of the plurality of electronic locks, a shared encryption key received from the server computing device,
• receiving, by each electronic lock, an encrypted instruction from the server computing device,
• attempting, by each electronic lock, decryption of the encrypted instruction using the shared encryption key, and
• executing, by each electronic lock, an instruction, obtained upon successful decryption of the encrypted instruction, by toggling to either a lock state or an unlock state based on the instruction.