What are the best practices for handling file uploads securely in web application development?
Handling file uploads securely in web application development requires implementing several best practices. First, always validate and sanitize user input to prevent common web vulnerabilities like file inclusion or path traversal attacks. Second, limit the file types and sizes that can be uploaded to prevent malicious files from being executed. Third, store files outside the web root directory to prevent direct access. Fourth, rename uploaded files to avoid conflicts and directory traversal attacks. Finally, consider implementing file content scanning and virus checking to ensure the uploaded files are safe.