What are the security implications of using XAMPP for web development with PHP, and are there any recommended alternatives for Windows servers?

Using XAMPP for web development with PHP can pose security risks due to its default configuration settings, such as having open ports and default passwords. To mitigate these risks, it is recommended to secure XAMPP by changing default passwords, restricting access to certain directories, and keeping the software updated.

// Example of securing XAMPP by changing default passwords
// Change the default MySQL root password
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['password'] = 'newpassword';