How can PHP developers ensure the security of their applications when including external files like zip archives?

When including external files like zip archives in PHP applications, developers should validate and sanitize user input to prevent directory traversal attacks. They should also restrict file permissions and use functions like `zip_open()` to safely extract files from the archive.

$zip = new ZipArchive;
if ($zip->open('example.zip') === TRUE) {
    $zip->extractTo('/path/to/extract/');
    $zip->close();
    echo 'Files extracted successfully';
} else {
    echo 'Failed to extract files';
}