Final answer:
A suppression list in Snort is used to prevent false positives and refine intrusion detection by specifying which rules should not trigger alerts. It helps in managing the number of alerts and improves the efficiency of the security infrastructure.
Step-by-step explanation:
The primary purpose of a suppression list in Snort is to prevent false positives and refine the intrusion detection process. Suppression lists allow administrators to specify which rules should not trigger alerts under certain conditions or from specific sources. For instance, a rule that is too noisy might be causing an overwhelming number of alerts, hindering the ability to identify genuine threats. By including that rule in the suppression list, Snort will ignore the specified traffic, reducing the number of irrelevant alerts and facilitating a more focused approach to threat detection.
Suppression lists are a crucial aspect of network security because they ensure that the security team is not overwhelmed by an excessive number of alerts, many of which may be harmless or normal for the specific environment. This targeted approach in managing alerts can significantly improve the efficiency of the security infrastructure.