What is a relevant outcome of using timeline analysis in forensics?

Using timeline analysis in forensics is pivotal for understanding user behavior over time. This technique involves organizing events related to digital artifacts chronologically, which allows forensic investigators to reconstruct user activities and ascertain patterns or trends in behavior. For example, by examining timestamps on files, logs, and system events, an investigator can deduce when specific actions were taken, such as file creation, modification, or deletion.

This chronological perspective provides insights into an individual's actions, helping to establish timelines that can support or refute claims in legal proceedings. It can reveal whether a user was active during a specific incident or how they interacted with their devices and applications over a period, thus enhancing the understanding of the context surrounding potential criminal activities.

The other options do not align as closely with the primary purpose of timeline analysis. Identifying active malware typically involves scanning and analyzing for signs of malicious software rather than examining user behavior. Recovering inaccessible files is usually associated with data recovery techniques rather than timeline analysis. Encrypting sensitive information is a security measure unrelated to the analysis of user behavior and timeline reconstruction.