What are the differences between session handling in PHP tutorials and external websites, and which approach is more secure?

Session handling in PHP tutorials often demonstrate storing session data in files on the server, which can be a security risk if not properly configured. External websites may use more secure methods like storing session data in a database or using encryption to protect sensitive information. The approach of storing session data securely, such as using encryption and secure cookies, is more secure than simply relying on file-based session handling.

// Use secure session handling by setting session cookie parameters
session_set_cookie_params([
    'lifetime' => 0,
    'path' => '/',
    'domain' => 'example.com',
    'secure' => true,
    'httponly' => true,
    'samesite' => 'Strict'
]);
session_start();