Two of the largest challenges facing financial institutions are identity-related, according to the new Aite Group Impact Report, Financial Institution Fraud Trends: ATO and Application Fraud Rising Rapidly.

Application fraud and account takeover fraud threats were initially fueled by the wealth of personal information available from so many data breaches, according to a press release.

However, fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated at aging the synthetic identities they create and thereby developing a new set of challenges for FIs, the Aite report finds.

FIs are evaluating whether improving security and the customer experience can offer a competitive advantage, according to Aite.

The company's survey data indicates that for 74 percent of U.S. FIs, improving the customer experience is an important component in the business case for a new fraud solution.

"Improved security doesn't have to translate to greater friction for customers," Aite Group Senior Analyst Shirley Inscoe said in the release. "Both FIs and fraud solution providers will benefit from understanding the current challenges and the resulting opportunities in the market."

The report is based on Aite Group surveys of 83 executives at U.S. financial institutions of all sizes.