How can the use of $_REQUEST be improved in the code to enhance security and prevent potential vulnerabilities?

Using $_REQUEST directly can pose security risks as it combines data from $_GET, $_POST, and $_COOKIE, making it susceptible to injection attacks. To enhance security, it is recommended to explicitly use either $_GET or $_POST depending on the type of data being accessed. This helps to prevent unintended data manipulation and reduces the risk of security vulnerabilities.

// Example of using $_POST instead of $_REQUEST for improved security
$username = isset($_POST['username']) ? $_POST['username'] : '';
$password = isset($_POST['password']) ? $_POST['password'] : '';