How can developers ensure that sensitive data is not exposed when using login systems in PHP?

Developers can ensure that sensitive data is not exposed when using login systems in PHP by securely hashing passwords before storing them in the database. This ensures that even if the database is compromised, the passwords cannot be easily decrypted. Additionally, developers should use prepared statements to prevent SQL injection attacks when querying the database for user credentials.

// Example of securely hashing passwords before storing them in the database
$password = password_hash($_POST['password'], PASSWORD_DEFAULT);

// Example of using prepared statements to prevent SQL injection attacks
$stmt = $pdo->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = :username");
$stmt->bindParam(':username', $_POST['username']);
$stmt->execute();
$user = $stmt->fetch();