How can a beginner in PHP ensure that customer information is securely stored and updated in a database, especially when dealing with sensitive data?

To ensure customer information is securely stored and updated in a database, especially when dealing with sensitive data, beginners in PHP can utilize prepared statements and parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection attacks. Additionally, encrypting sensitive data before storing it in the database and using HTTPS to secure data transmission can enhance security measures.

// Connect to the database
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "database";

$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);

// Check connection
if ($conn->connect_error) {
    die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}

// Prepare a SQL statement with placeholders
$stmt = $conn->prepare("INSERT INTO customers (name, email, password) VALUES (?, ?, ?)");

// Bind parameters to the placeholders
$stmt->bind_param("sss", $name, $email, $password);

// Set parameters and execute the statement
$name = "John Doe";
$email = "johndoe@example.com";
$password = password_hash("securepassword", PASSWORD_DEFAULT);

$stmt->execute();

// Close the statement and connection
$stmt->close();
$conn->close();