What are some alternative methods or functions in PHP that can be used to securely deliver a protected PDF file to users on a website?

To securely deliver a protected PDF file to users on a website, one method is to use PHP to authenticate the user before allowing access to the file. This can be achieved by checking user credentials, such as a login session or user roles, before serving the PDF file. Additionally, you can store the PDF file outside of the web root directory to prevent direct access. 

<?php
// Check user authentication before serving the PDF file
session_start();

if(isset($_SESSION['user_logged_in']) && $_SESSION['user_logged_in'] === true) {
    $pdf_file = 'path/to/protected/file.pdf';
    
    header('Content-type: application/pdf');
    header('Content-Disposition: inline; filename="file.pdf"');
    readfile($pdf_file);
    exit;
} else {
    echo 'Unauthorized access';
}
?>

Keywords

file_get_contents header readfile fopen password protection

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