There are several ways to restrict access to phpMyAdmin from the outside, but here are some of the most common methods:
Restrict access by IP address:
You can configure your web server to only allow connections to phpMyAdmin from specific IP addresses or IP address ranges. This can be done by modifying the server's configuration files (e.g. httpd.conf, nginx.conf) to include a directive like the following:
<Location /phpmyadmin>
Order deny,allow
Deny from all
Allow from 192.168.0.0/24
</Location>
This configuration allows access to phpMyAdmin only from IP addresses in the 192.168.0.0/24 range.
Use a VPN:
Another way to restrict access to phpMyAdmin is to set up a virtual private network (VPN) and require users to connect to the VPN before accessing phpMyAdmin. This approach can be more secure than simply restricting access by IP address, as it provides an additional layer of authentication and encryption.
Rename or move phpMyAdmin:
By default, phpMyAdmin is usually installed in a directory named "phpmyadmin" on the web server. One way to make it harder for attackers to find and access phpMyAdmin is to rename or move the directory to a different location on the server. For example, you could rename the directory to "mydatabaseadmin" and then update your web server configuration to reflect the new location.
Use authentication:
Finally, you can require users to authenticate before they can access phpMyAdmin. This can be done by setting up a login page or integrating with an existing authentication system (e.g. LDAP, Active Directory). To enable authentication in phpMyAdmin, you can set the following configuration option in the config.inc.php file:
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['auth_type'] = 'cookie';
This will prompt users to enter a username and password before they can access phpMyAdmin.