How can PHP developers ensure secure file transfers when using sFTP in their applications?

To ensure secure file transfers when using sFTP in PHP applications, developers should use the SSH2 extension for PHP, which provides secure communication over the SSH protocol. By using this extension, developers can establish secure connections to sFTP servers and transfer files securely.

// Establish a connection to the sFTP server using the SSH2 extension
$connection = ssh2_connect('sftp.example.com', 22);

// Authenticate with the server using a username and password
ssh2_auth_password($connection, 'username', 'password');

// Open a sFTP session on the server
$sftp = ssh2_sftp($connection);

// Transfer a file securely using sFTP
$remoteFile = 'sftp://'.$sftp.'/path/to/remote/file.txt';
$localFile = '/path/to/local/file.txt';
ssh2_scp_send($connection, $localFile, $remoteFile, 0644);