How important is session-based authentication in ensuring the security of a PM system in PHP?

Session-based authentication is crucial in ensuring the security of a PM system in PHP as it helps to verify the identity of users and prevent unauthorized access. By using session variables to store user credentials and validate them on each page request, we can ensure that only authenticated users can access sensitive information.

session_start();

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

// Other code for the PM system