Many users place code in multiple files and include these files: ]]> Or perhaps ]]> Both of these can be problematic if the included file is accessible somewhere under the DOCUMENT_ROOT directory. The best solution is to place these files outside of the DOCUMENT_ROOT directory where they are not accessible directly. You can add this external directory to your include_path configuration setting. Another option is to reject any direct requests for these files in your Apache configuration. You can use a rule like this in your "httpd.conf" file: Order allow,deny Deny from all ]]>