What are the best practices for handling data retrieval and security in PHP scripts?
When handling data retrieval and security in PHP scripts, it is important to sanitize input data to prevent SQL injection attacks and validate user input to ensure data integrity. Additionally, use prepared statements when querying the database to prevent SQL injection vulnerabilities. It is also recommended to store sensitive data securely, such as using encryption techniques.
// Sanitize input data to prevent SQL injection
$user_input = mysqli_real_escape_string($conn, $_POST['user_input']);
// Validate user input to ensure data integrity
if (filter_var($user_input, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL)) {
// Proceed with the data retrieval process
} else {
// Handle invalid input error
}
// Use prepared statements to prevent SQL injection vulnerabilities
$stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = ?");
$stmt->bind_param("s", $user_input);
$stmt->execute();
$result = $stmt->get_result();
// Store sensitive data securely using encryption techniques
$encrypted_data = openssl_encrypt($sensitive_data, 'AES-256-CBC', $encryption_key, 0, $iv);