What are some best practices for designing a secure and efficient User class in PHP, especially when handling sensitive data?

When designing a User class in PHP to handle sensitive data, it is important to follow best practices to ensure security and efficiency. This includes using proper data validation, implementing secure password hashing techniques, and restricting access to sensitive methods or properties. Additionally, utilizing prepared statements to prevent SQL injection attacks and implementing session management to control user authentication are crucial steps in creating a secure User class. 

<?php

class User {
    private $username;
    private $email;
    
    public function __construct($username, $email) {
        $this->username = $username;
        $this->email = $email;
    }
    
    public function setUsername($username) {
        // Validate username input
        $this->username = $username;
    }
    
    public function setEmail($email) {
        // Validate email input
        $this->email = $email;
    }
    
    public function setPassword($password) {
        // Hash and store password securely
        $hashedPassword = password_hash($password, PASSWORD_DEFAULT);
        // Store hashed password in database
    }
    
    public function authenticate($password) {
        // Retrieve hashed password from database
        // Verify password using password_verify
        return password_verify($password, $hashedPassword);
    }
    
    // Other methods for user management
}

?>

Keywords

encryption password hashing input validation SQL injection prevention session management

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