Transferring a domain from one registrar company to another usually involves the use of a special transfer code, which different registrar companies call an EPP authentication code, a domain name password or an Auth code. This code can be used as a protection mechanism against unsanctioned transfers with all generic and with most country-code extensions. The code can be obtained only by the owner of the given domain and is provided by the present registrar company. It must be given to the new domain name registrar company because the transfer process cannot be initiated without it. The code is case-sensitive and usually includes digits and special symbols, so as to impede unauthorized persons from cracking it. Certain domain registrars even reset the codes of domains registered through them after a particular interval of time for even better security.
