How can HTTP authentication be implemented for securing multiple pages in PHP?

To implement HTTP authentication for securing multiple pages in PHP, you can use the `$_SERVER['PHP_AUTH_USER']` and `$_SERVER['PHP_AUTH_PW']` variables to authenticate users. You can create a function that checks these variables against a predefined username and password, and if they match, allow access to the protected pages. 

<?php
function authenticate() {
    if(!isset($_SERVER['PHP_AUTH_USER']) || !isset($_SERVER['PHP_AUTH_PW']) || $_SERVER['PHP_AUTH_USER'] != 'username' || $_SERVER['PHP_AUTH_PW'] != 'password') {
        header('WWW-Authenticate: Basic realm="Restricted Area"');
        header('HTTP/1.0 401 Unauthorized');
        echo 'Access Denied';
        exit;
    }
}

authenticate();
?>

Keywords

HTTP authentication PHP secure multiple pages implementation

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