What are the potential pitfalls of relying on IP addresses or cookies for user identification in PHP form submissions?

Relying solely on IP addresses or cookies for user identification in PHP form submissions can be unreliable and insecure. IP addresses can change or be shared among multiple users, leading to incorrect identification. Cookies can be easily manipulated or deleted by users, compromising the security of the identification process. To address these pitfalls, it is recommended to use a combination of methods such as session variables and database storage for more accurate and secure user identification. 

// Start a session
session_start();

// Set a session variable for user identification
$_SESSION['user_id'] = $user_id;

// Store the user_id in a database for future reference
// This can be done after verifying the user's credentials

Keywords

IP addresses cookies user identification PHP form submissions security risks

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