How can Apache's htaccess be utilized to prevent direct access to downloadable files in a protected area?

To prevent direct access to downloadable files in a protected area using Apache's htaccess, you can add a rule that restricts access to files based on their file extensions. By denying access to certain file types, you can ensure that users cannot directly download files from the protected area. ``` <FilesMatch "\.(pdf|docx|zip)$"> Order allow,deny Deny from all </FilesMatch> ```