How can PHP developers prevent SQL injections and ensure data security in their applications?

To prevent SQL injections in PHP applications, developers should use parameterized queries with prepared statements instead of directly inserting user input into SQL queries. This helps to sanitize input data and prevent malicious SQL code from being executed. Additionally, developers should validate and sanitize user input before processing it in SQL queries to ensure data security.

// Using prepared statements to prevent SQL injections
$stmt = $pdo->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = :username");
$stmt->bindParam(':username', $username);
$stmt->execute();