What are some best practices for securely protecting PHP code while still maintaining its functionality and performance?

One best practice for securely protecting PHP code is to use obfuscation techniques to make the code more difficult to understand for potential attackers. Another approach is to implement proper access controls and authentication mechanisms to restrict unauthorized access to sensitive parts of the code. Additionally, regularly updating PHP versions and using secure coding practices can help mitigate security risks.

// Example of obfuscating PHP code using base64 encoding
$original_code = 'echo "Hello, World!";';
$obfuscated_code = base64_encode($original_code);
eval(base64_decode($obfuscated_code));