The Cyber CEO

Haree Patel

I’m Haree Patel, Founder and CEO of iceConnect, and this is the podcast where we dive into the ups and downs of running a business in today’s tech-driven world. Whether you’re a small business owner, an entrepreneur, or somewhere in between, this show’s for you. We’re all about real conversations with fellow business owners, sharing what’s worked, what hasn’t, and how technology can make (or sometimes break) a business. Have you ever wondered how others manage to grow without losing their minds? Or how they’re using tech to solve everyday headaches? You’re in the right place. I'll be speaking with successful entrepreneurs to chat about their journeys and insights as well as sharing what I’ve learned along the way. You’ll get actionable advice and a few laughs too (because, let’s be real, who couldn’t use a little humour when talking about business?). So, grab yourself a coffee (or tea, I’m not picky), and let’s explore how you can take your business to the next level without the corporate jargon, just honest chats.

Episodes

  1. Sep 28 ·  Video

    Operational Debt Is Quietly Stealing a Day a Week with Paul Green

    Your team could be losing a day a week to workarounds nobody has noticed. Take the free Operational Debt assessment at thecyberceo.com. Most businesses don't look broken. Orders go out and the numbers look fine. Underneath, staff are typing the same details into three different systems and critical know-how sits in one person's head. That is operational debt, and it costs your business time, money and growth. Paul Green of MSP Marketing asks Haree Patel what operational debt is and why most business owners only spot it when a key person leaves or a buyer starts asking questions. Who this episode is for Owners and managing directors of growing businesses, especially if you're taking on another business or thinking about selling in the next few years. In this episode Why operational debt rarely looks like a problemWhere it hides in everyday work, including in one person's headHow to measure something nobody has written downThe simple exercise that shows where your team's hours really goWhen it makes sense to keep a manual process on purposeWhy old systems cost you when it's time to sellFrom the episode "Inefficiency is a symptom of the problem. It's not a measure of the problem." (Haree Patel) "There's going to be answers where you say, I don't know. And that is exactly where operational debt lies." (Haree Patel) "I have a member of my team who... has to go and record that information in four or five different places, which is crazy." (Paul Green) About the speakers Paul Green runs MSP Marketing and hosts his own podcast. Haree Patel hosts The Cyber CEO and founded iceConnect, a UK IT and cyber security provider with close to 30 staff across offices in London, Essex and South Africa. He has spent more than 20 years helping businesses run their IT and stay secure. If this episode was useful, follow the show, leave a five-star review and share it with a business owner who needs to hear it.

  2. 10/21/2025

    Is Apple Mac Really Worth It for Your Business with Mus Melemendi

    Is an Apple Mac really worth it for your business? Need help choosing the right computers for your team? Get free, no-obligation advice at thecyberceo.com. Windows runs most business computers, often simply because it always has. With more business software moving to the cloud, the choice between Mac and Windows is more open than it used to be. Haree Patel talks to Mus Melemendi, senior engineer and team lead at iceConnect, who uses a Mac at home and supports Windows at work. Haree has used Windows since MS-DOS, so they don't always agree. Who this episode is for Anyone choosing new laptops for their team, and IT managers deciding whether to let staff work on Macs. In this episode What really stops businesses switching from Windows to MacWhich industries suit Macs, and which still need WindowsWhy Mus wouldn't run Windows software on a Mac in a businessWhich is easier for your IT provider to manage and secureWhether Microsoft Copilot gives Windows the edge on AIWhether a Mac is still a status symbolFrom the episode "The ecosystem is the selling point." (Mus Melemendi) "If you want a do-it-all, then Windows is the way to go." (Mus Melemendi) "You've pretty much sold Mac OS to everybody out here, by the way." (Haree Patel) About the speakers Mus Melemendi is a senior engineer and team lead at iceConnect. He supports business users on Windows every day and has used a Mac at home for four years. Haree Patel hosts The Cyber CEO and founded iceConnect, a UK IT and cyber security provider. He has spent more than 20 years helping businesses run their IT and stay secure. If this episode was useful, follow the show, leave a five-star review and share it with a business owner who needs to hear it.

  3. 10/07/2025

    Passwords are Dead: Which Security Method Should You Trust with Adrian Clements

    Still relying on passwords to protect your business? Want help tightening up logins and security across your team? Get free, no-obligation advice at thecyberceo.com. Your email, files and systems are probably still protected by passwords. With AI making phishing emails and deepfakes harder to spot, is a password and a code on your phone still enough? Haree Patel talks to Adrian Clements, regional director at iceConnect, about what's actually safer for businesses today: strong passwords with multi-factor authentication (MFA), or going passwordless with biometrics, passkeys and FIDO2 security keys. Who this episode is for Owners and managers who look after security, particularly if your team still shares logins or hasn't switched on multi-factor authentication. In this episode How long it really takes to crack a short passwordWhich type of MFA to trust, and which to move away fromWhat to do when a login prompt appears that you didn't triggerWhy Adrian trusts one type of biometric but not the otherWhether passkeys are as safe as the big tech firms sayThe simple steps every business should take this weekFrom the episode "Users are the weakest link in any form of security." (Haree Patel) "If somebody has compromised your fingerprint, what are you supposed to do?" (Adrian Clements) "And then they say, but we replicate it to all your devices. And that's where it all falls apart from my perspective." (Adrian Clements) About the speakers Adrian Clements is a regional director at iceConnect and works with businesses every day on how they protect their systems and data. Haree Patel hosts The Cyber CEO and founded iceConnect, a UK IT and cyber security provider. He has spent more than 20 years helping businesses run their IT and stay secure. If this episode was useful, follow the show, leave a five-star review and share it with a business owner who needs to hear it.

  4. 09/23/2025

    Why Cloud is the Future for Businesses with Amish Sanghrajka

    Still running your business on old servers? Thinking about moving to the cloud? Get free, no-obligation advice at thecyberceo.com. Cloud computing gets talked about a lot, but for most business owners the real question is whether it's worth the monthly bill. If rising IT costs or a hybrid team have you thinking about it, this episode gives you a straight answer without the jargon. Haree Patel and Amish Sanghrajka, COO at iceConnect, compare running your own servers with moving to Microsoft 365, SharePoint, AWS or Microsoft Azure. They also share the mistakes they see businesses make after they've moved. Who this episode is for Business owners and finance or operations managers who still run their own servers or are facing a hardware refresh, and want to know whether the cloud really pays off. In this episode What servers in your office really cost once you count everythingWhether the cloud is actually more secure than your own server roomHow SharePoint can get your files back after a ransomware attackWhy no business is too small for the cloudWhich mistakes keep costing businesses money after they've movedWhat to move first, and who should do itFrom the episode "The cloud is just someone's computer somewhere on the internet." (Amish Sanghrajka) "The argument that my business is too small for cloud... for me, it doesn't really fly." (Amish Sanghrajka) "I think saying it was cheap and for free is again fool's gold." (Haree Patel) About the speakers Amish Sanghrajka is COO at iceConnect and helps businesses move from their own servers to the cloud. Haree Patel hosts The Cyber CEO and founded iceConnect, a UK IT and cyber security provider. He has spent more than 20 years helping businesses run their IT and stay secure. If this episode was useful, follow the show, leave a five-star review and share it with a business owner who needs to hear it.

  5. 09/09/2025

    Build a Powerful Remote Workforce with Amish Sanghrajka

    Is your remote team really working at full capacity? Want help with your own remote setup? Get free, no-obligation advice at thecyberceo.com. Managing a remote team is one of the biggest worries for UK business owners. You want to trust your staff, but how do you know they're not watching TV whilst you're paying them? In the first episode of The Cyber CEO podcast, Haree Patel talks to Amish Sanghrajka, COO at iceConnect, about building a remote and hybrid team with staff in the UK and South Africa. They talk through how to measure performance and keep company data safe, and they don't agree on everything. Who this episode is for Anyone running a remote or hybrid team, especially if you're hiring outside the UK or worried about productivity when staff work from home. In this episode Why time zones mattered more than salaries when hiring abroadHow to measure remote staff without micromanaging themWhen, if ever, screen-monitoring software is the right callWhat a lost or stolen laptop should never put at riskHow to stop remote staff feeling isolatedWhy Haree thinks fully remote jobs on a UK salary are under threatFrom the episode "We still have the banter that we had in the office. We just do it on Slack." (Amish Sanghrajka) "If they're only working four of those hours of the eight, they're getting paid to work. That means we're not giving them enough." (Haree Patel) "Dare I say it, some people we've had turn up, don't even know how to behave in an office." (Haree Patel) About the speakers Amish Sanghrajka is COO at iceConnect, where he manages a team split between the UK and South Africa. Haree Patel hosts The Cyber CEO and founded iceConnect, a UK IT and cyber security provider. He has spent more than 20 years helping businesses run their IT and stay secure. If this episode was useful, follow the show, leave a five-star review and share it with a business owner who needs to hear it.

About

I’m Haree Patel, Founder and CEO of iceConnect, and this is the podcast where we dive into the ups and downs of running a business in today’s tech-driven world. Whether you’re a small business owner, an entrepreneur, or somewhere in between, this show’s for you. We’re all about real conversations with fellow business owners, sharing what’s worked, what hasn’t, and how technology can make (or sometimes break) a business. Have you ever wondered how others manage to grow without losing their minds? Or how they’re using tech to solve everyday headaches? You’re in the right place. I'll be speaking with successful entrepreneurs to chat about their journeys and insights as well as sharing what I’ve learned along the way. You’ll get actionable advice and a few laughs too (because, let’s be real, who couldn’t use a little humour when talking about business?). So, grab yourself a coffee (or tea, I’m not picky), and let’s explore how you can take your business to the next level without the corporate jargon, just honest chats.