What term describes the situation where customers cannot access or recover their data due to a provider's business failure?

The situation where customers cannot access or recover their data due to a provider's business failure is best described by the term vendor lock-out. This term refers to the circumstances in which customers find themselves unable to retrieve their data from a cloud service provider, typically because the provider may have gone out of business or ceased operations. In such cases, customers can be left without a viable means to gain access to their information, resulting in a significant risk to their data management and operational continuity.

In contrast, data compliance pertains to the adherence to regulations and standards governing the handling of data, focusing on legal requirements rather than accessibility issues. Service termination relates more to the ending of services by either the provider or the customer but does not inherently imply a business failure on the provider's part. Data loss prevention refers to strategies and tools used to prevent data breaches or loss, rather than addressing the implications of a provider's business failure on access to customer data. Each of these terms involves distinct aspects of data management and security, making vendor lock-out the most appropriate descriptor in this scenario.