What are some best practices for handling API keys securely in PHP code?

When working with API keys in PHP code, it is crucial to handle them securely to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information. One common best practice is to store API keys in environment variables or configuration files outside of the web root directory. This helps prevent accidental exposure of the keys through source code repositories or server logs. 

// Store API key in environment variable
$apiKey = getenv('API_KEY');

// Or store API key in a configuration file
$config = include('config.php');
$apiKey = $config['api_key'];

Keywords

API keys security encryption environment variables authentication

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