This paper studies the secrecy rate maximization problem of a secure wireless communication system, in the presence of multiple eavesdroppers. The security of the communication link is enhanced through cooperative jamming, with the help of multiple jammers. First, a feasibility condition is derived to achieve a positive secrecy rate at the destination. Then, we solve the original secrecy rate maximization problem, which is not convex in terms of power allocation at the jammers. To circumvent this non-convexity, the achievable secrecy rate is approximated for a given power allocation at the jammers and the approximated problem is formulated into a geometric programming one. Based on this approximation, an iterative algorithm has been developed to obtain the optimal power allocation at the jammers. Next, we provide a bisection approach, based on one-dimensional search, to validate the optimality of the proposed algorithm. In addition, by assuming Rayleigh fading, the secrecy outage probability (SOP) of the proposed cooperative jamming scheme is analyzed. More specifically, a single-integral form expression for SOP is derived for the most general case as well as a closed-form expression for the special case of two cooperative jammers and one eavesdropper. Simulation results have been provided to validate the convergence and the optimality of the proposed algorithm as well as the theoretical derivations of the presented SOP analysis.