What are some best practices for securely handling user authentication and session management in PHP web applications?

Issue: Securely handling user authentication and session management in PHP web applications is crucial to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information. One best practice is to use secure hashing algorithms to store passwords and implement measures to prevent session hijacking or fixation. 

// Start a secure session
session_start();

// Set session variables
$_SESSION['user_id'] = $user_id;

// Validate user credentials
function validate_user($username, $password) {
    // Retrieve user data from database
    // Validate password using secure hashing algorithm
    // Return true if credentials are valid, false otherwise
}

Keywords

password hashing session hijacking CSRF protection secure cookies two-factor authentication

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