UK outsourcer and government contractor Capita said Friday that it has launched an investigation into an IT failure that resulted in staff being unable to access key systems, causing disruptions to services for local authorities and some businesses.

Capita employees have been unable to access their IT systems since the early hours of Friday, sparking fears of a possible cyberattack targeting the company.

With £6.5 billion worth of public sector contracts, Capita is among the UK government's largest suppliers.

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