How do anti-forensics techniques hinder forensic investigations?

Anti-forensics techniques are specifically designed to create obstacles for forensic investigations by obstructing or complicating the analysis of digital evidence. Such techniques can include actions like data manipulation, file deletion, data obfuscation, or the use of encryption. When suspects employ these methods, they aim to hinder the forensic examiner's ability to retrieve, analyze, or interpret evidence effectively. By making it difficult to ascertain the true state of data, anti-forensics can significantly delay investigations and even lead to inconclusive results. This deliberate obfuscation is at the core of what anti-forensics seeks to accomplish, directly impacting the integrity and outcome of forensic analysis. The other options do not accurately reflect the nature of anti-forensic techniques, as they suggest that such methods either simplify analysis or enhance evidence reliability, which contradicts the intent behind anti-forensics.