What are the security implications of using an open SMTP server for sending emails from a PHP contact form?

Using an open SMTP server for sending emails from a PHP contact form can pose security risks such as unauthorized access, spamming, and potential abuse of the server. To mitigate these risks, it is recommended to authenticate the SMTP server with a username and password before sending emails. 

// Set SMTP server settings
$smtpHost = 'smtp.example.com';
$smtpUsername = 'your_smtp_username';
$smtpPassword = 'your_smtp_password';
$smtpPort = 587; // Use port 587 for secure SMTP

// Send email using authenticated SMTP server
$mail = new PHPMailer();
$mail->isSMTP();
$mail->Host = $smtpHost;
$mail->SMTPAuth = true;
$mail->Username = $smtpUsername;
$mail->Password = $smtpPassword;
$mail->SMTPSecure = 'tls'; // Enable TLS encryption
$mail->Port = $smtpPort;

// Add email content and send
$mail->setFrom('your_email@example.com', 'Your Name');
$mail->addAddress('recipient@example.com', 'Recipient Name');
$mail->Subject = 'Subject';
$mail->Body = 'Email body content';
$mail->send();

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