What best practices should be followed when implementing a protected download area in a web application using PHP?

When implementing a protected download area in a web application using PHP, it is important to ensure that only authenticated users have access to the files. This can be achieved by checking the user's session or credentials before allowing the download to proceed. Additionally, it is recommended to store the files outside of the web root directory to prevent direct access via URL. 

<?php
session_start();

// Check if user is authenticated
if(!isset($_SESSION['user_id'])) {
    // Redirect to login page or display an error message
    header("Location: login.php");
    exit();
}

// Define the file path
$file_path = '/path/to/protected/files/secret.pdf';

// Check if the file exists
if(file_exists($file_path)) {
    // Set the appropriate headers for the file download
    header('Content-Description: File Transfer');
    header('Content-Type: application/pdf');
    header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=' . basename($file_path));
    header('Content-Length: ' . filesize($file_path));

    // Output the file content
    readfile($file_path);
} else {
    // Display an error message if the file does not exist
    echo 'File not found.';
}
?>

Keywords

authentication authorization session management file handling security

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