What purpose does adding known benign files to an allowlist serve?

Adding known benign files to an allowlist primarily serves to reduce false positive detections. When files are allowlisted, the security solution recognizes them as safe based on their established reputation and characteristics. This means that when these files are encountered during scans or assessments, the system will not flag them as potential threats.

This is crucial for maintaining operational efficiency and reducing unnecessary alerts that can lead to alert fatigue. By minimizing the number of false positives, security teams can focus on genuine threats rather than spending time investigating legitimate files that have been mistakenly flagged. This streamlined process enhances overall productivity and allows for a more effective security posture without the noise created by false alarms.

The other options do not align with the primary purpose of an allowlist. For example, while adding files to an allowlist can contribute to overall security by ensuring trust in legitimate applications, this is not its primary purpose. Similarly, while it does not ensure detection of all indicators or block incoming files, these functionalities relate to different aspects of security and not specifically to the function of reducing false positives.