What are the potential security risks of implementing a custom encryption algorithm for storing data in PHP cookies?

Using a custom encryption algorithm for storing data in PHP cookies can introduce security risks as it may not have undergone rigorous testing and may have vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers. It is recommended to use established encryption algorithms like AES for securing sensitive data in cookies.

// Using AES encryption for storing data in PHP cookies
$key = 'YourSecretKeyHere';
$data = 'sensitive_data_to_encrypt';

// Encrypt data
$encrypted_data = openssl_encrypt($data, 'AES-256-CBC', $key, 0, 'YourIVHere');

// Store encrypted data in cookie
setcookie('encrypted_data', $encrypted_data, time() + 3600, '/', 'example.com', true, true);