What potential pitfalls should be considered when transferring passwords from .htaccess to a MySQL database in PHP?

One potential pitfall to consider when transferring passwords from .htaccess to a MySQL database in PHP is the security of the database itself. Storing passwords in a database requires proper encryption and security measures to prevent unauthorized access. Additionally, the way passwords are stored and retrieved from the database should follow best practices to ensure data integrity and confidentiality.

<?php
// Connect to MySQL database
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";
$dbname = "myDB";

$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password, $dbname);

// Check connection
if ($conn->connect_error) {
    die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}

// Store password securely in the database
$password = password_hash($password, PASSWORD_DEFAULT);

// Insert password into database
$sql = "INSERT INTO users (username, password) VALUES ('$username', '$password')";

if ($conn->query($sql) === TRUE) {
    echo "Password stored securely in database";
} else {
    echo "Error: " . $sql . "<br>" . $conn->error;
}

$conn->close();
?>