How can PHP developers ensure data security and integrity in a voting and member management system for small groups?

To ensure data security and integrity in a voting and member management system for small groups, PHP developers can implement secure coding practices such as input validation, parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection, and using encryption for sensitive data.

// Example of input validation to prevent SQL injection
$username = mysqli_real_escape_string($conn, $_POST['username']);
$password = mysqli_real_escape_string($conn, $_POST['password']);

// Example of using parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection
$stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = ?");
$stmt->bind_param("s", $username);
$stmt->execute();
$result = $stmt->get_result();

// Example of encrypting sensitive data
$encrypted_data = openssl_encrypt($data, 'AES-256-CBC', $encryption_key, 0, $iv);