PHP is an opensource server-side scripting language designed for web development to produce dynamic pages. The latest stable version while writing this document is 5.3.8.
Security
Hosting PHP applications on a server requires careful and constant attention to deal with these security risks. Hardening patches are available for php such as suhosin patch.
In a server, to secure php scripts, we use PHP Handlers like Suphp and fast-cgi.
Speed optimization
Speed Optimization is an important part for php scripts especially while hosting in a shared environment. There are various tips to increase speed of php scripts. One technique is the proper selection of php handlers.
Use dso handler for php (fast but not secure)
Use fast-cgi handler for php (both secure and fast)
Another method is to use php accelerators like EAccelerator or opcode cache.
