How can session management be improved in PHP scripts to avoid issues with user authentication?

Session management in PHP scripts can be improved by implementing secure session handling techniques such as using HTTPS, setting secure session cookies, regenerating session IDs, and validating session data on each request. By following these best practices, you can enhance the security of user authentication in PHP scripts.

// Start secure session
session_set_cookie_params([
    'lifetime' => 0,
    'path' => '/',
    'domain' => 'example.com',
    'secure' => true,
    'httponly' => true,
    'samesite' => 'Strict'
]);
session_start();

// Regenerate session ID to prevent session fixation attacks
session_regenerate_id(true);

// Validate session data on each request
if (!isset($_SESSION['authenticated']) || $_SESSION['authenticated'] !== true) {
    // Redirect to login page or show unauthorized message
    header('Location: login.php');
    exit;
}