diff --git a/.golangci.yml b/.golangci.yml
index f7d1fb7f5f..a54cd6b2a2 100644
--- a/.golangci.yml
+++ b/.golangci.yml
@@ -264,13 +264,6 @@ issues:
     path: ^apis\/.*\/.*conversion.*\.go$
 
   # FIXME: All below excludes should get removed over time.
-  - linters:
-    - staticcheck
-    text: "SA1019: failureDomain.AutoConfigure is deprecated"
-  - path: "test/e2e/*"
-    linters:
-      - gosec
-    text: "G106:"
 
   # missing comments
   - linters:
@@ -301,7 +294,3 @@ issues:
     - gosec
     text: "G104: Errors unhandled."
     path: ^(controllers/vspherecluster_reconciler|pkg/manager/options_test|test/helpers/webhook)\.go$
-  - linters:
-    - gosec
-    text: "(G204|G301|G304): "
-    path: ^test/
diff --git a/controllers/vspheredeploymentzone_controller_domain.go b/controllers/vspheredeploymentzone_controller_domain.go
index 6e425b7f20..15da22a6b9 100644
--- a/controllers/vspheredeploymentzone_controller_domain.go
+++ b/controllers/vspheredeploymentzone_controller_domain.go
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func (r vsphereDeploymentZoneReconciler) reconcileFailureDomain(ctx context.Cont
 }
 
 func (r vsphereDeploymentZoneReconciler) reconcileInfraFailureDomain(ctx context.Context, deploymentZoneCtx *capvcontext.VSphereDeploymentZoneContext, failureDomain infrav1.FailureDomain) error {
-	if *failureDomain.AutoConfigure {
+	if *failureDomain.AutoConfigure { //nolint:staticcheck
 		return r.createAndAttachMetadata(ctx, deploymentZoneCtx, failureDomain)
 	}
 	return r.verifyFailureDomain(ctx, deploymentZoneCtx, failureDomain)
diff --git a/test/e2e/e2e_suite_test.go b/test/e2e/e2e_suite_test.go
index 300a567934..1040712b20 100644
--- a/test/e2e/e2e_suite_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/e2e_suite_test.go
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ var _ = SynchronizedBeforeSuite(func() []byte {
 	// Before all ParallelNodes.
 
 	Expect(configPath).To(BeAnExistingFile(), "Invalid test suite argument. e2e.config should be an existing file.")
-	Expect(os.MkdirAll(artifactFolder, 0755)).To(Succeed(), "Invalid test suite argument. Can't create e2e.artifacts-folder %q", artifactFolder) //nolint:gofumpt
+	Expect(os.MkdirAll(artifactFolder, 0755)).To(Succeed(), "Invalid test suite argument. Can't create e2e.artifacts-folder %q", artifactFolder) //nolint:gosec // Non-production code
 
 	By("Initializing a runtime.Scheme with all the GVK relevant for this test")
 	scheme := initScheme()
diff --git a/test/e2e/log_collector.go b/test/e2e/log_collector.go
index a79ea91d77..5068a31318 100644
--- a/test/e2e/log_collector.go
+++ b/test/e2e/log_collector.go
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func createOutputFile(path string) (*os.File, error) {
 	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(path), os.ModePerm); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	return os.Create(path)
+	return os.Create(filepath.Clean(path))
 }
 
 func executeRemoteCommand(f io.StringWriter, hostIPAddr, command string, args ...string) error {
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ func newSSHConfig() (*ssh.ClientConfig, error) {
 
 	config := &ssh.ClientConfig{
 		User:            DefaultUserName,
-		HostKeyCallback: ssh.InsecureIgnoreHostKey(),
+		HostKeyCallback: ssh.InsecureIgnoreHostKey(), //nolint:gosec // Non-production code
 		Auth: []ssh.AuthMethod{
 			ssh.PublicKeys(signer),
 		},
@@ -152,5 +152,5 @@ func readPrivateKey() ([]byte, error) {
 		return nil, errors.Errorf("private key information missing. Please set %s environment variable", VSpherePrivateKeyFilePath)
 	}
 
-	return os.ReadFile(privateKeyFilePath)
+	return os.ReadFile(filepath.Clean(privateKeyFilePath))
 }
diff --git a/test/helpers/mod.go b/test/helpers/mod.go
index ce7d555ef6..1fe300c4d5 100644
--- a/test/helpers/mod.go
+++ b/test/helpers/mod.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package helpers
 
 import (
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"golang.org/x/mod/modfile"
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ type Mod struct {
 
 func NewMod(path string) (Mod, error) {
 	var mod Mod
-	content, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+	content, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Clean(path))
 	if err != nil {
 		return mod, err
 	}
diff --git a/test/helpers/vcsim/builder.go b/test/helpers/vcsim/builder.go
index 1c8b1332d4..1765ac1eaf 100644
--- a/test/helpers/vcsim/builder.go
+++ b/test/helpers/vcsim/builder.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func (b *Builder) Build() (*Simulator, error) {
 func govcCommand(govcURL, commandStr string, buffers ...*gbytes.Buffer) *exec.Cmd {
 	govcBinPath := os.Getenv("GOVC_BIN_PATH")
 	args := strings.Split(commandStr, " ")
-	cmd := exec.Command(govcBinPath, args...)
+	cmd := exec.Command(govcBinPath, args...) //nolint:gosec // Non-production code
 	cmd.Env = os.Environ()
 	cmd.Env = append(cmd.Env, fmt.Sprintf("GOVC_URL=%s", govcURL), "GOVC_INSECURE=true")
 
diff --git a/test/helpers/webhook.go b/test/helpers/webhook.go
index e2caa3e7f0..0d105913e8 100644
--- a/test/helpers/webhook.go
+++ b/test/helpers/webhook.go
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ func initializeWebhookInEnvironment() {
 		klog.Fatalf("Failed to get information for current file from runtime")
 	}
 	root := path.Join(path.Dir(filename), "..", "..")
-	configyamlFile, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(root, "config", "webhook", "manifests.yaml"))
+	configyamlFile, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Clean(filepath.Join(root, "config", "webhook", "manifests.yaml")))
 	if err != nil {
 		klog.Fatalf("Failed to read core webhook configuration file: %v ", err)
 	}
diff --git a/test/integration/integration_suite_test.go b/test/integration/integration_suite_test.go
index 4419017bdd..8cb24290c2 100644
--- a/test/integration/integration_suite_test.go
+++ b/test/integration/integration_suite_test.go
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ var _ = SynchronizedBeforeSuite(func() []byte {
 	Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 
 	Expect(configPath).To(BeAnExistingFile(), "Invalid test suite argument. e2e.config should be an existing file.")
-	Expect(os.MkdirAll(artifactFolder, 0755)).To(Succeed(), "Invalid test suite argument. Can't create e2e.artifacts-folder %q", artifactFolder)
+	Expect(os.MkdirAll(artifactFolder, 0755)).To(Succeed(), "Invalid test suite argument. Can't create e2e.artifacts-folder %q", artifactFolder) //nolint:gosec // Non-production code
 
 	By("Initializing a runtime.Scheme with all the GVK relevant for this test")
 	scheme := initScheme()