What steps should be taken to ensure the security of a PHP script that interacts with a database?

To ensure the security of a PHP script that interacts with a database, it is important to use parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection attacks. Additionally, validating and sanitizing user input before using it in database queries can help prevent malicious input from being executed. It is also recommended to limit database user permissions to only what is necessary for the script to function properly.

// Example of using parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection
$stmt = $pdo->prepare('SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = :username');
$stmt->bindParam(':username', $username);
$stmt->execute();