PHP Security Best Practices

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PHP remains one of the most popular languages for web development, but its popularity also makes it a prime target for attackers. Ensuring the security of PHP applications requires adherence to best practices. Here are several key security measures, real-world examples, insights into modern frameworks such as Symfony and Laravel, and recommended PHP configurations.

1. Input Validation and Sanitization

Always validate and sanitize user input to avoid injection attacks.

// Example using filter_input
$email = filter_input(INPUT_POST, 'email', FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL);
if (!$email) {
    die('Invalid email format.');
}

Frameworks such as Symfony and Laravel provide built-in request validation mechanisms:

• Laravel Example:

$request->validate([
    'email' => 'required|email',
]);

• Symfony Example:

use Symfony\Component\Validator\Constraints as Assert;

$constraint = new Assert\Collection([
    'email' => [new Assert\Email(), new Assert\NotBlank()],
]);

2. Protect Against SQL Injection