Which of the following describes a high severity defect?

A high severity defect is characterized by its significant impact on the functionality or performance of the software being tested. When a defect crashes the software or leads to data loss, it represents a critical failure that can severely inhibit the ability of users to effectively utilize the application. This type of defect often requires immediate attention from the development team due to the potential serious consequences it introduces, such as loss of business continuity, frustrated users, or detrimental effects on data integrity.

In many situations, high severity defects may halt testing or deployment efforts until they are resolved, as they compromise the fundamental operation of the software. Such defects demand a prompt response to prevent further issues from arising and to restore normal functionality as rapidly as possible, highlighting their critical nature in the overall quality assurance process.