What considerations should be made when configuring email programs for server-side email handling?

When configuring email programs for server-side email handling, it is important to consider security measures such as encryption, authentication, and spam filtering. Additionally, setting up proper email protocols like IMAP or POP3 is crucial for efficient email retrieval and storage.

// Example PHP code for configuring server-side email handling with encryption and authentication

$server = '{mail.example.com:993/imap/ssl}INBOX';
$username = 'user@example.com';
$password = 'password';

$connection = imap_open($server, $username, $password);

if (!$connection) {
    die('Could not connect: ' . imap_last_error());
}

// Fetch emails, process them, and close the connection
// Example: imap_search(), imap_fetchheader(), etc.

imap_close($connection);