I get it. A physical SIM is indeed a security hazard. Back in the days of flip phones, you can just pop out a SIM card and pop it into any other cellphone and it would receive calls for the number associated with the SIM. I imagine this is still true today for smartphones with physical SIM.
I get that it is also painful in many situations to transition because we don't have the widespread infrastructure for eSIM yet in most parts of the world. But eventually....we'll get there.
SIM PIN
Use a SIM PIN for your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support
Lock your SIM card with a PIN (personal identification number) to require an identification code for phone calls and cellular-data usage.
support.apple.com