What precautions should be taken to prevent unauthorized access to files through PHP scripts?

To prevent unauthorized access to files through PHP scripts, it is important to properly secure file permissions and implement authentication and authorization checks in your code. This can include using password protection, session management, and role-based access control to ensure that only authorized users can access sensitive files.

// Example code snippet for implementing authentication check in PHP script
session_start();

// Check if user is logged in
if(!isset($_SESSION['user_id'])) {
    header("Location: login.php");
    exit;
}

// Check if user has necessary permissions
if($_SESSION['role'] !== 'admin') {
    echo "Unauthorized access";
    exit;
}

// Code to access sensitive file goes here