By default, anyone can view the contents of the .htaccess file. However, this can be a security risk, as it exposes the website configuration details. For security reasons, it is a good idea to prevent visitors from viewing .htaccess files.
To do this, add the following directives to the .htaccess file:
# Prevent Apache from serving .htaccess files:
<FilesMatch "^\.htaccess">
Order allow,deny
Deny from all
</FilesMatch>
Now, visitors who try to view the .htaccess file directly receive a “403 Forbidden” error in their web browser.
