What are some best practices for securing PHP files to prevent unauthorized access?

To prevent unauthorized access to PHP files, it is essential to implement proper security measures such as restricting file permissions, using authentication mechanisms, and sanitizing user input. Additionally, it is recommended to store sensitive information in a secure location and regularly update PHP versions to patch any security vulnerabilities.

<?php
// Restrict access to PHP files by checking if a specific constant is defined
defined('SECURE_ACCESS') or die('Restricted access');

// Your PHP code here
?>