diff --git a/.golangci.yml b/.golangci.yml
index 4a32eddc669e..358d834aaef5 100644
--- a/.golangci.yml
+++ b/.golangci.yml
@@ -38,10 +38,21 @@ linters:
 issues:
   max-same-issues: 0
   max-issues-per-linter: 0
+  # We are disabling default golangci exclusions because we want to help reviewers to focus on reviewing the most relevant
+  # changes in PRs and avoid nitpicking.
+  exclude-use-default: false
   # List of regexps of issue texts to exclude, empty list by default.
   exclude:
     - Using the variable on range scope `(tc)|(rt)|(tt)|(test)|(testcase)|(testCase)` in function literal
     - "G108: Profiling endpoint is automatically exposed on /debug/pprof"
+    - Error return value of .((os\.)?std(out|err)\..*|.*Close|.*Flush|os\.Remove(All)?|.*print(f|ln)?|os\.(Un)?Setenv). is not checked
+    # The following are being worked on to remove their exclusion. This list should be reduced or go away all together over time.
+    # If it is decided they will not be addressed they should be moved above this comment.
+    - (comment on exported (method|function|type|const)|should have( a package)? comment|comment should be of the form)
+    - package comment should be of the form "Package (.+) ..."
+    - Subprocess launch(ed with variable|ing should be audited)
+    - (Expect directory permissions to be 0750 or less|Expect file permissions to be 0600 or less)
+    - (G104|G307)
 
 run:
   timeout: 10m
diff --git a/test/framework/alltypes_helpers.go b/test/framework/alltypes_helpers.go
index 55d5277e70c2..7832ca928c61 100644
--- a/test/framework/alltypes_helpers.go
+++ b/test/framework/alltypes_helpers.go
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ func dumpObject(resource runtime.Object, logPath string) {
 	namespace := metaObj.GetNamespace()
 	name := metaObj.GetName()
 
-	resourceFilePath := path.Join(logPath, namespace, kind, name+".yaml")
+	resourceFilePath := filepath.Clean(path.Join(logPath, namespace, kind, name+".yaml"))
 	Expect(os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(resourceFilePath), 0755)).To(Succeed(), "Failed to create folder %s", filepath.Dir(resourceFilePath))
 
 	f, err := os.OpenFile(resourceFilePath, os.O_APPEND|os.O_CREATE|os.O_WRONLY, 0644)
diff --git a/test/framework/bootstrap/kind_util.go b/test/framework/bootstrap/kind_util.go
index 35841b5bf4cc..15764fd84f4f 100644
--- a/test/framework/bootstrap/kind_util.go
+++ b/test/framework/bootstrap/kind_util.go
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ func save(ctx context.Context, image, dest string) error {
 // copied from kind https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/kind/blob/v0.7.0/pkg/cmd/kind/load/docker-image/docker-image.go#L158
 // loads an image tarball onto a node.
 func load(imageTarName string, node kindnodes.Node) error {
-	f, err := os.Open(imageTarName)
+	f, err := os.Open(filepath.Clean(imageTarName))
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "failed to open image")
 	}
diff --git a/test/framework/deployment_helpers.go b/test/framework/deployment_helpers.go
index ec09b6e78195..88361a395ade 100644
--- a/test/framework/deployment_helpers.go
+++ b/test/framework/deployment_helpers.go
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ func WatchDeploymentLogs(ctx context.Context, input WatchDeploymentLogsInput) {
 			go func(pod corev1.Pod, container corev1.Container) {
 				defer GinkgoRecover()
 
-				logFile := path.Join(input.LogPath, input.Deployment.Name, pod.Name, container.Name+".log")
+				logFile := filepath.Clean(path.Join(input.LogPath, input.Deployment.Name, pod.Name, container.Name+".log"))
 				Expect(os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(logFile), 0755)).To(Succeed())
 
 				f, err := os.OpenFile(logFile, os.O_APPEND|os.O_CREATE|os.O_WRONLY, 0644)
diff --git a/test/framework/kubetest/setup.go b/test/framework/kubetest/setup.go
index 8302000d1a45..ccd4d88f1ff8 100644
--- a/test/framework/kubetest/setup.go
+++ b/test/framework/kubetest/setup.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"os"
 	"path"
+	"path/filepath"
 )
 
 func copyFile(srcFilePath, destFilePath string) error {
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ func copyFile(srcFilePath, destFilePath string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	srcFile, err := os.Open(srcFilePath)
+	srcFile, err := os.Open(filepath.Clean(srcFilePath))
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/test/framework/namespace_helpers.go b/test/framework/namespace_helpers.go
index 74416099886a..c237f9642803 100644
--- a/test/framework/namespace_helpers.go
+++ b/test/framework/namespace_helpers.go
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ func WatchNamespaceEvents(ctx context.Context, input WatchNamespaceEventsInput)
 	Expect(input.ClientSet).NotTo(BeNil(), "input.ClientSet is required for WatchNamespaceEvents")
 	Expect(input.Name).NotTo(BeEmpty(), "input.Name is required for WatchNamespaceEvents")
 
-	logFile := path.Join(input.LogFolder, "resources", input.Name, "events.log")
+	logFile := filepath.Clean(path.Join(input.LogFolder, "resources", input.Name, "events.log"))
 	Expect(os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(logFile), 0755)).To(Succeed())
 
 	f, err := os.OpenFile(logFile, os.O_APPEND|os.O_CREATE|os.O_WRONLY, 0644)
diff --git a/test/infrastructure/docker/docker/machine.go b/test/infrastructure/docker/docker/machine.go
index 5f960b37f577..62cff8e53ecf 100644
--- a/test/infrastructure/docker/docker/machine.go
+++ b/test/infrastructure/docker/docker/machine.go
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ func (m *Machine) PreloadLoadImages(ctx context.Context, images []string) error
 	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
 
 	for i, image := range images {
-		imageTarPath := filepath.Join(dir, fmt.Sprintf("image-%d.tar", i))
+		imageTarPath := filepath.Clean(filepath.Join(dir, fmt.Sprintf("image-%d.tar", i)))
 
 		err = exec.Command("docker", "save", "-o", imageTarPath, image).Run()
 		if err != nil {