How can PHP sessions be effectively used to manage user authentication and prevent unauthorized access to files?

PHP sessions can be effectively used to manage user authentication by storing user credentials in session variables upon successful login. By checking these session variables on each page load, unauthorized users can be prevented from accessing restricted files. This ensures that only authenticated users can access specific content on the website. 

<?php
session_start();

// Check if user is logged in
if(!isset($_SESSION['user_id'])) {
    header("Location: login.php");
    exit();
}

// Restricted file content
echo "Welcome, authorized user!";
?>

Keywords

PHP sessions user authentication unauthorized access file management security

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