What potential pitfalls should be considered when storing data from external websites in variables for database storage in PHP?

One potential pitfall when storing data from external websites in variables for database storage in PHP is the risk of SQL injection attacks if the data is not properly sanitized. To mitigate this risk, always use prepared statements or parameterized queries to insert data into the database. 

// Example of using prepared statements to insert data into a database

// Assume $conn is a valid database connection

// Data retrieved from external website
$externalData = "some data";

// Prepare a SQL statement
$stmt = $conn->prepare("INSERT INTO table_name (column_name) VALUES (?)");
$stmt->bind_param("s", $externalData);

// Execute the statement
$stmt->execute();

// Close the statement and connection
$stmt->close();
$conn->close();

Keywords

SQL injection data validation cross-site scripting prepared statements secure coding practices

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