Why is it important to escape incoming data in PHP?

Escaping incoming data in PHP is crucial for preventing SQL injection attacks, which are one of the most common security vulnerabilities in web applications. When user inputs are directly included in SQL queries without proper validation or escaping, malicious users can manipulate the input to execute arbitrary SQL code. This can lead to unauthorized access to the database, data leakage, data destruction, or even full control over the database server.

By escaping incoming data, developers mitigate this risk by sanitizing user input, thus ensuring that any special characters are treated as plain text rather than executable code. This practice effectively neutralizes the threat posed by malicious input.

While improving load times, enhancing code readability, or ensuring data integrity are all important aspects of coding and application design, they are not the primary reason for escaping incoming data in the context of web security. The fundamental goal of this practice is to secure the application against SQL injection, making option B the key focus for developers concerned with maintaining secure PHP applications.