The FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warned Thursday that cyberattacks targeting water utilities are escalating and operators have been locked out of their operational technology networks. CISA said it was seeing a "significant escalation" of attacks targeting programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and urged water utilities to remove publicly exposed devices from the internet, according to an advisory issued Thursday. PLCs are used to automate and monitor pumps and other functions used for drinking water and wastewater treatment. The FBI said that reported attacks have spread to seven states, following the initial series of attacks earlier this week in Minnesota, according to a public service announcement issued Thursday. Operators told the FBI that certain attacks have led to flooding and reduction in water pressure.