How is the impact of a defect on a component or system defined?

The impact of a defect on a component or system is defined in terms of severity. Severity refers to the degree of impact that a defect has on the functionality of the software or its components. It evaluates how critical the defect is and how much it affects the operation or integrity of the system. A high severity defect can prevent the system from functioning altogether, while lower severity defects may cause only minor issues or inconveniences.

In the context of software testing, understanding severity is crucial for prioritizing defect resolution and determining the urgency of fixes. This classification helps teams understand the criticality of defects and manage resources effectively, ensuring that the most impactful issues are addressed first.

While other options like risk level, importance, and magnitude could reference aspects related to defects, they do not specifically define the impact of a defect itself in the same focused way that severity does. Risk level often relates to the likelihood and consequences of encountering a defect, importance can denote stakeholder relevance, and magnitude implies size or scale but lacks the precise connotation regarding system functionality that severity provides.