How can beginners improve their PHP coding skills to write more secure and efficient scripts?

To improve PHP coding skills for writing secure and efficient scripts, beginners can start by learning about common security vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and CSRF attacks. They should also practice writing clean and organized code, utilizing PHP best practices, and familiarizing themselves with built-in PHP functions for tasks like input validation and output escaping. Additionally, beginners can benefit from studying frameworks like Laravel or Symfony, which provide built-in security features and promote good coding practices.

// Example of input validation using filter_var
$email = $_POST['email'];
if (filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
    // Email is valid, proceed with processing
} else {
    // Invalid email, handle error
}